Subj : IBM Developer's Toolbox
To : David Noon
From : Tobias Ernst
Date : Tue Oct 10 2000 08:56 am
Hallo David!
DN> + Origin: My other computer is an IBM S/390 (2:257/609.5)
Speaking of legacy technology, your computer then is legacy technology too.
;-). If you want to be current, this must be an IBM z900 now. Well - the z900
is also new in the Microsoftish way: New cover, but the same (well, enhanced of
course) thing underneath.
I wonder what stupid guy thought up this senseless product rebranding. There
was enough trouble in beating into the customers' heads what a S/390 is, and
once they understood and embraced the term (e.g. gcc and Linux calls the
architecture s390-ibm now), is is renamed. Brilliant! Or take the AS/400 - it's
name stands for reliability in middleware issues for a broad range of customers
- then why change the winning team/name? And if the name is changed, why must
there again be a meaningless leter with a meaningless number? Could one not at
least have thought of a meaningful name? Aaargh!
You don't really have a S/390, and be it only a P/390 board, do you? I'm still
looking if there is an easy way for an interested Hobbieist to get an account
on such a machine via TCP/IP (with VM/CMS, MVS or VSE, in this order of
preference). From time to time I do mainframe-related work for IBM (e.g.
during semester holidays), but when I do not work there, I can't access the
machines, so every year when I get back I have forgotten so much - I'd really
like to have a way to keep my knowledge fresh also during the rest of the year.
:-)
