IBM AS400?

[Arno Kletzander]

Sridhar Ayengar <ploopster at gmail.com> wrote:
> 9000 VAX wrote:
> BIG GOTCHA- you need to make sure your machine comes with not only the 
> OS, but also the mashine-specific intermediate layer software. Unless 
> you have a friend at IBM, they may be happy to give you a replacement in 
> return for much cash, or they may do the snooty Maitre d' thing . . . 
> and OS/400 is rumored to lock itself after a certain period of 
> inactivity as well.

I've even heard stories about some of the machines having something similar
to a inertia/tilt switch inside which was monitored all the time, even with
mains disconnected, and which invalidated the license code in the NVRAM in
case the machine was moved around (or the switch tampered with), since this
was taken as a sign of a change-of-ownership and IBM doesn't support license
transfer for OS/400. Can I say IP nazi methods?

I also suppose it's near impossible to reverse engineer such a beast, as IBM
would put lots of custom silicon and house-marked discretes in it?

> > You have found the reason why there are so many DEC fans and no IBM
> > fans on the mailing list.
> 
> I raise my hand and point out that I am a big-time IBM fan.

I can admit that I've also taken a liking for IBM stuff, since my first
bigger rescue operation was that of an IBM 4331 which now happily resides in
Hans Franke's collection. Well, "happily" is a bit much said, it doesn't
even power up correctly yet, but at least it wasn't made into Chinese
bicycles.

> Not AS/400's, though.  I have multiple mainframes *in my house*.

I can only dream of such yet. Then again, at least a smaller AS/400
shouldn't be too complicated to keep in a domestic environment,
space-/power-/heat-wise?

I've already been promised one for indefinite loan, but it has yet to
surface in the owner's storage area again :-) <wink>.

So long,

-- 
Arno Kletzander
Stud. Hilfskraft Informatik Sammlung Erlangen
www.iser.uni-erlangen.de

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