I read John Korb's call for a low cost HP3K.  I thought for a minute, that
co-mingling his idea with mine of last week for opening up MPE might
achieve what he would like.

In theory, any machine could be loaded up with any operating system and
file structure, it shouldn't be dependent on the hardware.  Even though it
is by "de facto".  It is the tyranny of the way MPE is copyrighted and
fixed to the patented HP3K hardware that keeps it the way it is.  I'm not
saying this is wrong, (history has exhibited good as well as bad tyrants),
but perhaps it would be a good time to release the O/S to the public?

Sure, perhaps some geeky students in Berkeley would play with it.  Perhaps
they would invent some horrible command, called "VISICRASH", or just as
well they might create the next "killer" application using MPE?  Maybe even
a GUI type interface that does OLTP well?

Who knows, perhaps releasing the MPE O/S may bring needed brainpower to its
development?  The current system of MPE development is rather meticulous,
even though it results in fewer mistakes.  It has resulted in an O/S that
hasn't kept up with the "point and click" functionality of other O/S's.

The "gene" pool of brainpower that is contracted to develop MPE is small in
comparison to development in other O/S's.  Therefore "releasing" MPE to the
masses will either allow it to grow because it is better, or it will fall
because it is terrible.  The way MPE is being controlled now will
eventually result in it's slow death, because HP has no interest in keeping
it alive past 2007.  If MPE is as good as some of us say it is, then
someone needs to convince HP to let it go, to let it be free, free to roam
the plain!  (No, that was the "Black Stallion" movie, wasn't it?  I
digress.)

Or is it THAT which we really fear deep down in all of us regarding MPE?
 Most of us tout MPE's greatness, but do we all really fear it won't stand
up to public scrutiny?  Or against other O/S's in a competing marketplace?
 Looking at the other side of a coin, perhaps the only "real" reason MPE
has stayed around so long is that HP keeps it propped up under slow
torture?  The acronyms "DEC", "VAX", and "VMS" come to mind here, whatever
happened to those?

Yes, there could be risc (pun intended) of opening up MPE.  But the only
way to find out would be to try it.