jason@cs.utexas.edu (Jason Martin Levitt) (02/16/90)
There is no indication that IBM has any intention of
upgrading AIX on the RT to anything approaching the features
of AIX 3.1 on the new Series 6000 machines. There _is_ a lot
of hinting that the RT is destined for history's trashcan.
One excerpt from the Official Announcement:
"an RT Migration Assistance Program is available to help
protect current RT system investments. For RT Systems
purchased between Jan. 1, 1989 and June 30, 1990, IBM,
for a limited time, is offering migration assistance trade-in
credit on a one-for-one basis to customers who want to
migrate from the RT system to a RISC System/6000 POWERStation
or POWERServer."
I'd like to talk to the brain-dead IBM marketeer that thought
up this insult. Those customers who supported IBM RTs during the
1985-1988 years are shut-out completely. Of course, they don't mention
what kind of trade-in credit these recent purchasers get.....
Any IBM employee care to comment?
---j
-----
Jason Martin Levitt P.O. Box 49860 Austin, Texas 78765 (512) 459-0055
Internet : jason@cs.utexas.edu | "Toroidal carbohydrate modules?
UUCP : ...cs.utexas.edu!hackbox!jason | Make mine glazed!"
BIX : jlevitt | -- Zippyjason@cs.utexas.edu (Jason Martin Levitt) (02/16/90)
In article <1133@gort.cs.utexas.edu> jason@cs.utexas.edu (Jason Martin Levitt) writes: > > I'd like to talk to the brain-dead IBM marketeer that thought >up this insult. Those customers who supported IBM RTs during the >1985-1988 years are shut-out completely. Of course, they don't mention >what kind of trade-in credit these recent purchasers get..... > I can't resist following up my own posting. It's admirable of IBM to openly admit they blew it with the RT. It's unconscionable of them to imply that the _RT customers_ blew it by purchasing the machines! In case anyone thinks this is sour grapes, I'd like to point out that I've never purchased RT hardware. --Jason ----- Jason Martin Levitt P.O. Box 49860 Austin, Texas 78765 (512) 459-0055 Internet: jason@cs.utexas.edu | "The most effective debugging tool is UUCP : cs.utexas.edu!hackbox!jason | still careful thought, coupled with BIX : jlevitt | judiciously placed print statements." | -Brian Kernighan [1978]
ables@lot.ACA.MCC.COM (King Ables) (02/17/90)
While I was contracting at IBM I found out about this plan and was also quite shocked. I sat down and talked with several people about it because I felt it was a *big* mistake to cut off established customers. I can't recall what all the rhymes and reasons were now, but there *were* *some* good reasons (for IBM) to do this. It was a case of the lesser of two evils. I do recall it was mostly business reasons (which being a techie-type, I have to accept that they think it's a better idea... I'm not really armed to debate business issues). Don't get me wrong, I still think it's more of a mistake than a good move. The point I'm trying to make is that is was NOT a single, quick, arbitrary decision on the part of one person. Many, many people thought about it a long time. Depending on your point-of-view, that either makes you feel better or it makes it even worse! ;-) The trade-in deal is supposed make it more acceptable, of course. King Ables Micro Electronics and Computer Technology Corp. ables@mcc.com 3500 W. Balcones Center Drive +1 512 338 3749 Austin, TX 78759
podop01@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu ({Jana|Steve} W[ae]chsler) (02/17/90)
In article <1133@gort.cs.utexas.edu> jason@cs.utexas.edu (Jason Martin Levitt) writes: >One excerpt from the Official Announcement: > > "an RT Migration Assistance Program is available to help > protect current RT system investments. For RT Systems > purchased between Jan. 1, 1989 and June 30, 1990, IBM, > for a limited time, is offering migration assistance trade-in > credit on a one-for-one basis to customers who want to > migrate from the RT system to a RISC System/6000 POWERStation > or POWERServer." Funny...my IBM rep told me that the migration period was June '89 to the present...which makes it even worse, since our last system was purchased in May '89. The new RS/6000 (that's RISC System/6000) series looks good, though, especially when you consider the price. $13k for an 8mb, monochrome graphics (1,280 x 1,024) and 120 Mb disk drive (which is the *smallest* available). Now I just have to convince my boss that we need them... -- Steve -- {Jana|Steve} W[ae]chsler Jana Wachsler or Steve Wechsler -- podop01@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu ========================================================================= "I'd advise ya's ta keep dialing." --Spocko
jason@cs.utexas.edu (Jason Martin Levitt) (02/17/90)
In article <544@lot.ACA.MCC.COM> ables@lot.ACA.MCC.COM (King Ables) writes: >While I was contracting at IBM I found out about this plan and was >also quite shocked. I sat down and talked with several people about >it because I felt it was a *big* mistake to cut off established customers. > >I can't recall what all the rhymes and reasons were now, but there >*were* *some* good reasons (for IBM) to do this. It was a case of >the lesser of two evils. I do recall it was mostly business reasons >(which being a techie-type, I have to accept that they think it's >a better idea... I'm not really armed to debate business issues). > > [stuff deleted].... It's nice of you to respond, King, but as you say, you don't remember the reasons, and you weren't equipped to debate the reasons when they were presented to you. IBM is not in the habit of answering queries on the net, but there are certainly a lot of IBM employees who follow this newsgroup. The IBM bureacracy being as bloated as it is, I imagine most of those employees don't know the reasons either. The policies will just happen, the RT will disappear slowly in "fire sale" mode, and that will be the end of it.... ---Jason ----- Jason Martin Levitt P.O. Box 49860 Austin, Texas 78765 (512) 459-0055 Internet: jason@cs.utexas.edu | "Disneyland exemplifies the essence of UUCP : cs.utexas.edu!hackbox!jason | the American spirit and continues to BIX : jlevitt | show us the way to follow our dreams." | -Ronald Reagan [1990]
clp@beartrk.beartrack.com (Charlie Pilzer) (02/17/90)
> In article <1133@gort.cs.utexas.edu> jason@cs.utexas.edu (Jason Martin Levitt) writes: > > I'd like to talk to the brain-dead IBM marketeer that thought > up this insult. Those customers who supported IBM RTs during the > 1985-1988 years are shut-out completely. I currently have a model 25 and just recently bought a used 115. I use the machine as a single user software development platform and on the whole pleased with it. It took me a while to get use to AIX differences and I have to be careful in my development to keep things portable. I went to the rollout yesterday and was impressed with what I saw. I would like to have RS/6000 but I can't afford one unless a client buys one for me. At this point, I have too much invested in the RT. I guess that I'll be able to get spare parts by buying used gear and parting it out (like the 115). While it would be nice to see AIX 3 (and followons) ported to the RT, I should be able to survive even if I'm rev locked at 2.2.1. My hope would be that either AIX 3 will be available or that some other version of U*IX will be available for the RT. One possibility will be for the GNU software, another path might use some version of AOS/AICS (BSD 4.3 for the RT). If and when OSF releases OSF/1, it might see a port to the RT. The RT that I have, and the ones that my clients installed have performed well. I can't complain too badly over what IBM sold us. I will admit that my development is in the commercial field, end user applications, and that I don't run computationally intensive programs. My clients use the RT as a small multiuser machine. I guess I could go to using a PS/2 model 80 instead. IBM is pushing the RS/6000 as a workstation, a different market than the one in which I participate. Just because IBM has hyped RS/6000, it doesn't mean that the existing base of RTs will be abandoned. I have not heard from IBM about the status of AIX 3 for the RT and I'll be content to wait for a while. Charlie Pilzer clp@beartrk.beartrack.com