[comp.misc] FS, S/38 and AS400

edp287z@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (Dan Eaves) (07/26/90)

In _The_AS/400_Revolution (by David Andrews, etc.: Published
by ADM Inc. in 1989) they say on page 156:

    >THE REBIRTH OF FUTURE SYSTEMS
    >
    >In the early 1970s IBM spent hundreds of millions of dollars
    >developing the design for a new generation of computers that
    >would replace the S370s. The project, called Future Systems,
    >or FS, was dropped in the mid-1970s when IBM management
    >decided that the users would not tolerate a major conversion
    >of S370 applications. Many of the FS concepts were incorporated
    >into the design of the S/38 and now form the basis of much of
    >the AS/400 architecture. The S/38 and AS/400 have only been
    >partial implementations of the FS concepts. IBM is now
    >seriously considering migrating toward an integrated single
    >computer architecture based on an updated version of the FS
    >design. If they adopt this concept, fully based on the new
    >FS architecture, would emerge in the mid-1990.

I have a historical interest in the FS ---> S/38 part of this. I
have heard various rumors about how one group in IBM held off the
killing of FS and managed to get their version to the market as
the S/38. I am interested in the details of what happened where
(in the Twin Cities?), and would like to write a paper on the
subject and be able to discuss it in a masters seminar on the
history of computing which I conduct. I will maintain the 
confidentiality of any responses, and share the results with any
contributors.

Looking for information on big IBM computers here may seem a 
foolish exercise, but is anybody out there???

Dan Eaves, 
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Because flesh can't stay/We pass the words along.
     Erica Jong "For Keats"