🚀 go-pugleaf

Perforce, let me acknowledge for the disclaimer-impaired that I speak
not even one whit for my employer on this issue, and will likely be
summarily flogged for posting this even with this introductory disclaimer.

The following are opinions held by myself and various other people I
know, who may or may not come forth to admit them. So assume they're
all mine until proven otherwise. They are violently out of phase with
lots of other peoples opinions, including some around here. Just for the
record.

Regarding recent RIOS vs RT stuff:

1) Of COURSE the people who bought RTs were foolish to do so. For IBM
   to admit this, is of course, unprecedented and amazing.

2) IBM has a history of leaving people holding their excrement, as it
   were. Just take a gander at the midrange systems. A number of IBM
   shops have found it easier to port their IBM midrange code to DEC VAXen
   than to port (*again*) to the IBM midrange-marvel-of-the-year.

3) Most recent nearly-personal case in point - AIX for the PS-2/80 is
   broke. IBM finally admitted it today at their product announcement.
   If the poor souls who've been saddled with a certain Sun->PS port
   will just hold their breath a while longer, the next release of
   AIX will really, really, REALLY work *this* time, for sure.


Regarding the RIOS in general:

   I hear/see great claims for the new 6000. I heard these same types
   of claims every time IBM introduced a system in the middie or micro
   arena - PC, System 3x, Series 1, RT/PC, PS-2, etc. Every time it has
   turned out to be more of the same: lies, damned lies, and IBM Marketing
   hype.

   There are always *many* of the faithful, and quite a few wannabe's,
   who get excited every time. "They fooled me before, but this time
   they aren't fooling!" "Hey! This time they finally got it RIGHT!"
   I can't recall all the times I've heard this from the blind about
   to be led into Yet Another Processor Pit (YAPP), but the count
   surely is beyond the price of a 6000 with 12 MB RAM and a 300 MB hard
   disk, in US dollars.

   I may be forced to eat crow later on this one. But based on IBM's
   track record at these system levels, it seems more likely to me that
   an awful lot of other people are going to be eating big blue's crow
   for a long time to come.

Repeat disclaimer.

-Miles

Actually, I want one, too. Great for target practice...