[log in to unmask]
Charles Finley, Open-Ended Systems Corp
310-419-5903

----------
> From: John Painter <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Whither Image?
> Date: Monday, October 27, 1997 7:04 AM
>
> In article <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask] says...
> >
> >I have been hearing reports that Turbo Image is on the MD list
> (Manufacture
> >Discontinued).
Where did this information come from?  In all cases, when I have been
able to confirm the source, this kind of information has come from
someone who is either selling consulting of some kind or who is
selling  an alternative solution.  (You are in trouble  and for
some large amount of "consulting" they can help you find the path
to salvation  --- speaking of religions.)  The solution always involves
"Open Systems"  (UNIX or nowadays NT) and some long-term and
very expensive conversion and/or migration.

I have lots of examples of how buying into these false beliefs can backfire
including one university that spent $70,0000 purchasing a Lantastic
network in order to avoid spending $45,000 on an "obsolete" HP
3000.  That was three years ago. In the meantime they have enjoyed
the benefits of upgrading all of the PC's to Pentiums, upgrading
the clients from Windows for Workgroups to Win 95 and reliability
problems that most people would not tolerate.  Their first
Lantastic vendor went out of business (not because of this
client).  They had to scramble to find a replacement.  Had they
purchased the HP 3000 they would have avoided all of this.

From our perspective, as a DAR and Channel Partner, we see an
increasingly reliable, consistent and strong commitment on the
part of CSY to IMAGE.  These people are motivated by money
just like other businesses are.  The HP 3000 and IMAGE make
a lot  of money for HP which they can maintain for very little
investment.  To discontinue IMAGE would deny them that money.
Knowing what we know about HP, I can accept without further
confirmation, that given that they are not stupid, they will
continue with their commitment to the HP 3000 and IMAGE.

By the way, we sell HP-UX, NT and Novell (but thank God
not Lantastic) Servers on all of the available platforms.  We
are neither anachronistic nor totally biased toward MPE.
However, we are biased toward decisions that make good
sense and against consultants and hardware vendors who
either through ignorance or greed, convince customers to
make irrational and unnecessary changes.


 Who can I talk with to get the straight information??
> We are
> >in the process of deciding whether or not to jump off Image & the 3000
> and
> >head to a 9000 with another DBMS, and of course staying with a product
> that
> >has no future, would be a bad decision.  Please no religious talk, it
> only
> >clouds the issue. I would be happy to stay with the 3000 and Image.
> >-=mike
> >[log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> >
>
> Mike:
>
> As a Channel Partner and developer, I would hope that we would be made
> aware of such a decision... We have certainly not heard any such thing
> from HP, nor have we heard any rumors to that effect. I think you can
> rest easy-- IMAGE is a mature product and there would be little reason
> for HP to stop selling/supporting this cash cow.
>
> John Painter
> Computer Solutions, Inc.
> http://www.internetcsi.com