[Info-vax] Don't worry, HP's project Moonshot will save us

[MG]

On 23-apr-2013 18:27, David Froble wrote:
> There are still people using, needing, and wanting VMS systems.

I wonder.  But, it's certainly a nice thought.


> The ones that have gone away are those who really needed a PC,
> Notebook, tablet, or phone.

An operating system with a reliable TCP/IP stack, recent and up-to-date
(network) security facilities (e.g. IPsec), improved software/package
management, at least one recent and common up-to-date web browser,
native integrated software development tools/suites, graphics software,
etc. ... besides (indeed, like you mentioned earlier) the usual 'word-
processing'/'office'-oriented software.  Just to name a few things.


> Yeah, there is the defection to Unix and stuff, but in the larger
> picture, all the "big iron" is in the same situation.

IBM is never in trouble, you /evil infidel/!?  They'd probably lynch
you, like in places like over at ClassicCmp, when you'd even think of
suggesting something like the above ... even /by accident/ and without
ill intentions.  Certainly never get the 'funny idea' to cite, say, a
[The] Register article stating anything contrary to their mythical
preconceived conceptions about IBM's true popularity and success 'out
there'.

Luckily IBM's 'self-confidence' will, so they believe, make them
survive the coming tide of x86/ARM bipolarity and luckily the faith
in Big Blue is very strong amongst the faithful disciples of IBM.

In the meanwhile, fewer and fewer of the recent and upcoming
generations --- especially those born since the last 15~20 year ---
will even know what "IBM" itself is.  They never even heard of the
"IBM PC", only if they somehow get the idea to 'look it up' at (e.g.)
Wikipedia.


> The original market for "real" computing systems is still there, you
> just cant find it among all the "beans" ....

I actually 'wonder' about that.

To me, the worrying thing in this all is not that the volume of "PC",
"Mac", "smartphone"/"tablet" far more exceeds things like, say, VMS
server-type systems.  No, not at all.  Even in the days of VAX, VMS
wasn't exactly visible inside every office and neither were other
platforms, like it.  VMS was pretty much always a low(er) volume type
of platform.  Nothing wrong with that, to everything its place.

What does seem quite worrying, to say the least, is that many of
those aforementioned high-volume platforms are getting the most
exposure and preferential treatment.  Those platforms are also
making significant inroads into the living space of, well, VMS
and many other (to certain degrees, similar) server-type systems.
Especially if you count Linux as a typical PC-type system (since
it runs mostly on x86).

At least back in the VAX days, when computers in general weren't
nearly as widespread and rarely in people's homes, many universities
had VMS systems or still taught students about VMS; in the least
students were more likely lectured or somehow told that VMS existed
at all!  (Unlike today, where most people would probably thing that
"VMS" refers to "virtual machines" and "OpenVMS" unsecured ones...)

So, in the end, most people --- including many future system and
software 'architects' --- will 'grow up', be 'educated' and use
these platforms.  Platforms like VMS, if they will even exist
much longer in the foreseeable future, will be relegated to (even
more) niche roles and only require certain maintenance skills,
likely taught by smaller crowds of embedded or detached specialists
in corporations.

At least VMS has the (if I may say so, excellent) "Hobbyist Program".
But, even that doesn't seem to be enough to revive or let alone spike
its popularity.

Ironically, the last bit of fairly widespread public exposure, were
stories revolving around an ARM-powered SoC type system ("Raspberry
Pi") running VMS VAX through SimH.  So, essentially VMS on 'smart
phone' equivalent hardware...  I find that very telling, to be
honest.

Far more than desiring to 'reimplement' a "GNU VMS", people around
these places (like here on comp.os.vms) should actually be thinking
of guerrilla advertisement plans.  Especially when you consider that
VMS was never properly marketed to begin with.

Maybe it's not too late to still attempt it now?  That would also
nicely show how much people would truly care to see VMS survive
and how much of their free time it's worth.

  - MG