We have an HP3000 947LX running MPE 4.0.  Yes we dropped support right
after the 4.0 was released.  At that time we were planning on phasing out
the 3000 for a PC network with SQL servers.  Utilizing a PC Network was
allowing us to get our people more productive with sharing the data via
spreadsheets and word processing.  (Sharing the printers - NOT, we now have
printers on the HP and other ones on the Network - all HP Lasers, and
Deskjets (couple are running on both the HP serially, and the Network
parallel.)

Monitoring HP's progress with their operating systems and how they have
been so aggressive with networks openness is starting us to re-think our
decision.  Now that there are ODBC drivers readily available and with JAVA
being ported to the HP we have access to our data on the HP the same as any
SQL Server.

I need to know if anyone could tell me who to contact at HP and what their
policy is on upgrading.  I'd like to see about upgrading to 5.5 and connect
the HP to our Ethernet thinlan backbone.  We have a DTC48 on thinlan to the
HP any ways.  We also just converted our network to talk completely in
TCP/IP.

I will be developing applications with ODBC to access our HP via
Reflections while we determine our overall use of the HP.  (Once I get
these applications using the HP data, I'm sure management will fully agree
there would be no reason to phase out the 3000.)

With management it's all with costs and the bottom line.  I'm hoping to get
into the latest operating system without excessive costs.

Thanks,
   Henry H Hood