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I know IBM is weird...but AS/400 or whatever they call it now is still just an amazing platform. it's one of those things that ends up doing things that are sup

I know IBM is weird...but AS/400 or whatever they call it now is still just an amazing platform. it's one of those things that ends up doing things that are super critical. in some ways it doesn't have real competitors. OpenVMS? If there's a infinite amount of money Non-Stop?

marktangotango 10y ago
AS/400 was a multi language VM environment long before Java. It really was/is amazing. I wish there was a way for newer generations to learn about things like this. I'm not sure how that would look. Maybe a History of Systems book or something?
- rbanffy 10y ago
  There are many retro computing enthusiast groups around (depending where you live - none here around Dublin, it seems) but I'm yet to see one dedicated to midrange or mainframe systems. It is a shame. Many challenges we find today happen to have been solved in the 60s. Then in the 70s, then in the 80s...
  - SSLy 10y ago
    Exactly – everyone does know their retro consoles and home computers, I can't find anyone who would have some interest in the systems you mentioned. Bummers.
    - rbanffy 10y ago
      Worst - even platforms that are still in use, such as IBM zSeries and iSeries are very poorly represented in tutorial space.
      - SSLy 10y ago
        I'd love me some IBM i hands on day.
        rbanffy 10y ago
        Is there a Hercules for iSeries?
- youdontknowtho 10y ago
  It's not exactly retro either. I have a friend that works at an absurdly large financial institution...all of their credit card transactions clear through iseries/os400/?they_call_it... EDIT: One thing that I love is the fact that they distributed apps in intermediate form and then compiled at installation time. (Sounds familiar, right?)
  - tolle 10y ago
    Heck I work on a AS400/iSeries/IBM i or whatever they are called.