Joe Geiser ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

<snipped for brevity, but very good material>

: Does this make sense?

  Well said.

  I'm a college student.  I like UNIX; it's cool, multiuser, yada yada.
But, it's a "been there, done that" platform.  It's old news and it
breaks.  Quite frankly, MPE is a really awesome system.  MPE was my first
multiuser system experience... it's easy, and while I don't program much,
I gather it's rock solid and not rattled by many of the buffer overflow
type things we see in UNIX.

  I'm trying to acquire a few Micro3000's and maybe a 37 (if I can afford
all that shipping!  I might have to limit myself.)  MPE is still an empty
canvas of an OS.  To make an inexpensive MPE/iX 5.5 box available (so we
who are familiar with MPE/iX 4.5 and before can experience POSIX,
networking, and HFS) would be really neat.  Someone mentioned that low
cost would attract the developers... YES!!!!!!!!!!  So many people don't
even know MPE exists!!!  The OS is soooo scalable... from "small" machines
to OLTP, it's the same OS, same compatibility issues (nothing like... gee,
it runs on sun4m, but will it run on sun4u?), and pretty rock solid.

  I love the fact that, to quote the 3000-L FAQ, "99.99%" of CM stuff will
run in NM.  I don't think you can say that for VMS, UNIX, Windows,
whatever.  If I did do something really neato nifty with the MPE/V
systems, I could easily and trivially get it going on a RISC
box, very likely without any recompile at all!

  Ok... I don't agree with dropping the floor out on the prices.  Make a
golden box, sell it for a golden price.  BUT!  Market the thing.  If you
can PROVE that your machine is solid like nothing else, you will get that
mission critical UNIX market.  Make it a, "look!  You can do THIS on MPE,
try to do it on UNIX."

  As far as the 908 thing goes... intro. a new price tier.  918LT with 4
user license, software upgrade to normal 918 (LT == lite!)  Hey, you've
heard of HP LaserJet 5L --- Xtra! right?  They can jack up the price for
software you'll never use, so why can't they lower it for lowering
licenses?  I'm not finished yet. <almost over!>

  BUT!!!! I want a real, in the flesh, inexpensive low end.  Make it
upgradable, but start us with enough RAM to run the OS (not lightning,
but satisfactorily), give us a modest CPU, a small,
compact, light chassis, 2.5GB SCSI hard drive, no HP-IB/PB, 3-4 serial
ports (one for console, or perhaps a standard workstation
keyboard/framebuffer!), a BNC ethernet, MPE iX/5.5 2-4 user license, and
just standard issue software (option to purchase limited number license
pack for other goodies at reduced cost at time of major purchase, increase
cost if purchased later), warranty and support extra.  Maybe a modest
HP 2x speed SCSI CD-ROM, but no DLT/DAT/backup device (those are extra).
One purpose of a machine is to demo software.  If you need more RAM,
then the customer can upgrade to 128MB (no higher would be necessary?  No
REAL-full-dataset apps running?  Virtual RAM should suffice for the few
occasions).  This 908 could also be a "get me started" box for startup
developers who can live in an imperfect world.  Now, Bench this desktop
3000 somewhere between a 932 and a 918 and that would do fine for me.

  What do you think?

--
Dan Kosack
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