On Wed, 1 Sep 2004 07:44:21 -0700, Craig Lalley <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Just an idea, > >Why doesn't HP release MPE, but only allow it to be > ported to HP-UX via license? The question makes no sense. You don't port one OS to another. You port an OS to another hardware. MPE and HP-UX run on the same hardware OS/400 and AIX run on the same hardware VMS and Tru64 run on the same hardware Its been a lot more economical to share hardware costs across lines for a long time. DEC would let you just let to choose to install VMS or Tru64 on an Alpha machine. HP will provide a kit to convert HP3000 to HP9000. Keep the same box. IBM could do the same with iSeries to pSeries. Ask these companies what hardware is shared between these boxes. They have the same processors. I don't know at what level IBM and HP keep these machines from crossing over. Possibly with some firmware or maybe these machines have some equivalent of a PC BIOS were they can imbed the impediment. But if they wanted to they already could let you cross install either the way DEC did on Alpha. Its not that hard, but that would hurt marketing strategies that allow you to charge different cost for the same box. Its a matter of will not effort. Jerry Finn * To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, * * etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *