🚀 go-pugleaf

hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com writes:
> Microsoft and the hardware makers followed the auto industry
> model of planned obsolescence.  My old PC physically works 
> reasonably well, but the software is obsolete and difficult
> to use for many tasks since it is no longer compatible.
>
> Note that IBM provided old system compatibility going back 40 years.
> Would it kill the PC industry to provide that?  
>
> As mentioned, they upgrade and upgrade but really don't improve
> anything.

1996 MSDC at Moscone some m'soft people offline were saying that up
until then, customers were buying every new release because it would
have new features they needed. However, crossover/tiping-point 1996
... 99% of the people had 99% of the features they needed/used and no
longer were motivated to move to every new release .... as a result they
were going to have to go to the auto model every year (to maintain
revenue growth) ... get latest bright and shiny because everbody else
was (as well as old stuff broke and/or obsolete).

late 80s, really started the move of all the easy stuff off mainframe
and by the early 90s, company had gone into the red. customers that were
left had all the stuff that was really hard or impossible to
move. mainframe hardware revenue is now a percent or two of bottom line
(change over circa early 70s from rented to sold hardware), but
mainframe division accounts for 25% (and 40% of bottom line) ... aka
software & services (leased/rented, reoccurring revenue). IBM doesn't
need a lot of investment to keep that stable market ... and since it is
all the old stuff that proved impossible to move off old systems
... incompatibilities could have disastrous effects on all the stuff
that already proved couldn't be (easily) redone.

Note, IBM somewhat backed into that position ... early 70s they had
Future System that was going to completely replace and completely
incompatible with the 360 stuff ... which eventually failed for lots of
reasons.
http://www.jfsowa.com/computer/memo125.htm
past posts
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/submain.html#futuresys

mainframe operating systems go out of service ("end of life") forcing
upgrade to newer versions. newer versions drop support for older
machines ... forcing buying new machine (unless wanting to drop all
maintenance/service) ... changes that are only required by newer
operating systems (but not required for customer software).

past posts that nearly all mainframe revenue is now software & services
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2012l.html#47 I.B.M. Mainframe Evolves to Serve the Digital World
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2012m.html#31 Still think the mainframe is going away soon: Think again. IBM mainframe computer sales are 4% of IBM's revenue; with software, services, and storage it's 25%
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2012m.html#43 Blades versus z was Re: Turn Off Another Light - Univ. of Tennessee
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2012n.html#13 System/360--50 years--the future?
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2012n.html#25 System/360--50 years--the future?
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2012n.html#44 Under what circumstances would it be a mistake to migrate applications/workload off the mainframe?
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013.html#9 Is Microsoft becoming folklore?
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013.html#17 Still think the mainframe is going away soon: Think again. IBM mainframe computer sales are 4% of IBM's revenue; with software, services, and storage it's 25%
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013b.html#5 mainframe "selling" points
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013b.html#15 A Private life?
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013b.html#24 New HD
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013b.html#25 Still think the mainframe is going away soon: Think again. IBM mainframe computer sales are 4% of IBM's revenue; with software, services, and storage it's 25%
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013c.html#60 Why Intel can't retire X86
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013c.html#84 What Makes an Architecture Bizarre?
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013e.html#4 Oracle To IBM: Your 'Customers Are Being Wildly Overcharged'
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013f.html#35 Reports: IBM may sell x86 server business to Lenovo
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013f.html#57 The cloud is killing traditional hardware and software
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013f.html#64 What Makes an Architecture Bizarre?
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013f.html#70 How internet can evolve
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013g.html#7 SAS Deserting the MF?
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2013h.html#40 The Mainframe is "Alive and Kicking"
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2014f.html#80 IBM Sales Fall Again, Pressuring Rometty's Profit Goal
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2014f.html#84 Is end of mainframe near ?
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2014m.html#145 IBM Continues To Crumble
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2014m.html#155 IBM Continues To Crumble
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2014m.html#170 IBM Continues To Crumble
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2015.html#30 Why on Earth Is IBM Still Making Mainframes?
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2015.html#85 a bit of hope? What was old is new again
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2015g.html#19 Linux Foundation Launches Open Mainframe Project
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2016b.html#52 MVS Posix
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2016g.html#69 "I used a real computer at home...and so will you" (Popular Science May 1967)
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2017.html#62 Big Shrink to "Hire" 25,000 in the US, as Layoffs Pile Up
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2017b.html#23 IBM "Breakup"
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2017c.html#63 The ICL 2900
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2017d.html#17 The Pentagon still uses computer software from 1958 to manage its contracts
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2017f.html#11 The Mainframe vs. the Server Farm: A Comparison
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2017g.html#86 IBM Train Wreck Continues Ahead of Earnings
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2017h.html#61 computer component reliability, 1951
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2017h.html#95 PDP-11 question
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2017i.html#73 When Working From Home Doesn't Work
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2018.html#4 upgrade
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2018b.html#63 Major firms learning to adapt in fight against start-ups: IBM
http://www.garlic.com/~lynn/2018c.html#33 The Pentagon still uses computer software from 1958 to manage its contracts

-- 
virtualization experience starting Jan1968, online at home since Mar1970