In article <[log in to unmask]>,
  George Stachnik <[log in to unmask]> wrote (with many deletions):
] Subject:      Re: 1:Conversion to UN*X
 
] I have the primary responsibility for communicating to
] customers about the differences between the HP 3000 and
] UNIX-based systems. . .
 
  This responsibility may be what is coloring my impression.
 
] One of the reasons why many customers have chosen to adopt
] a UNIX strategy is fear: fear that proprietary systems are
] "going away", and that the people who don't move will be
] left high and dry, with no new applications, & no way to get
] to new technologies (client/server, objects, etc). . .
 
] Second, those hardware vendors that chose to stick with their
] proprietary systems (notably HP with the 3000, DEC with the
] VAX and IBM with the AS/400, the PS/2 and mainframes),
] all brought new and more powerful hardware to the market,
] making it possible for customers to consolidate many smaller
] systems into single, easier to manage, centralized systems.
] As a result, while the *number* of proprietary computers installed went down,
] the number of users on those systems remained the same, or actually rose.
 
  And the number of computer professionals?  I ask because we, not users,
  are the evangelists of the technologies and companies we believe in.
 
] In particular, we began seeing this in the HP
] 3000 installed base.  Fewer and fewer customers are now talking
] to us about "moving" to UNIX.  More and more of them are
] talking to us about co-existance & integration. . .
 
] Today, more than a third of the customers we talk to are now using
] *both* HP 3000 and HP 9000 computers. . .
 
] In case I haven't made myself clear, let me do so now.  It
] is *not* HP's desire to move the HP 3000 installed base over
] to UNIX, (any more than it is to move the HP 9000 installed
] base over to MPE/iX). . .
 
]                           HP3K has *a* future.  Not *the*
] future.  We have no illusions about the future of the 3000;
] it's extremely unlikely that we'll see the computer industry
] "moving everything to the 3000".  And in spite of the ad
] that you quoted in your original posting, I don't believe
] that HP really thinks that the whole industry is going to
] move everything to the 9000 either.
 
]                           It will be a heterogeneous world, and we are
] preparing the 3000 to prosper in that world by making it fit as easily
] as possible into a heterogeneous environment.  That's our strategy.
 
] If you'd like more information on this topic, then there's a
] package of marketing materials you should examine. . .
 
] If you have an HP sales rep, tell him (or her) that they can
] get them from HP's Literature Distribution Center: the
] product number is 5963-5800E.  Or, you can get them directly
 
] These events are part of an                     Audio Conferences
] on-going program of seminars                    ====================
] and communications designed                     Taking Advantage of New
] to help customers get the most                  Products (3/15)
] from their HP 3000 investment.
 
] Are you planning to make an investment in    _
] your HP 3000 environment this year?         |_| Accounting - Andersen Con-
 
] What is the timeframe for this planned       _
] purchase?                                   |_| Electronic Data Interchange
 
] Is funding for this purchase
 
] What is your role in the purchasing
] process?
 
] HOW TO MIGRATE FROM MPE/V TO MPE/iX     release of MPE/iX.  With 5.0,
] IN 90 MINUTES                           moving to client/server is easier
 
] HOW TO INTEGRATE MPE/iX AND UNIX
] ENVIRONMENTS IN 90 MINUTES
 
The segments above are the 'sparkles' which caught my eye as I read
your post.  Overall I get the following impressions:
 
* HP is telling the HP3000 customers they aren't forgotten.  They don't
have to go to Unix.  Everything is fine.  Nothing is wrong.  Keep buying.
 
* HP is telling non-HP3000 customers to buy HP9000 machines.  It's the
open systems solution.  The future is here now.  Buy now.
 
* Nobody is telling non-HP3000 customers to buy HP3000 machines.
 
Sorry George, but that's the way I see it.  Read the various jobs groups,
and decide for yourself: why would anyone want to become an MPE expert
today?  There's literally no future (and little present) in it.
 
--
Regards  --  Tony B. Shepherd  --  [log in to unmask]