The Database Is the Computer
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

So many smart technologies have been created for and embodied in the successive generations of IBM's midrange platforms over the past four decades that it is hard to single out any particular idea of merit. If you put a gun to my head and made me choose, I would probably ask for the ability to single out one hardware idea and one software idea, which is a kind of cheating, I admit. But what else would you expect? READ MORE >

Another i5 Pricing Tweak: No User Cap on i5 515s
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

IBM continues to tweak and tune its pricing for the new user-based pricing model that is embodied in the System i5 515 and 525 servers. Back in May, IBM shifted from counting all users that access the system as users to merely counting concurrent users on the system, thereby making the pricing more accurately reflect how customers use the machine. On July 8, IBM made further changes to the user pricing on the entry i5 515 server, which will remove some complaints by customers looking to acquire that box. READ MORE >

System i Skills: Building Bridges Over the Generation Gap
by Dan Burger

Jim Buck is an IBM AS/400 and RPG veteran. He's an old school guy with a career timeline that parallels OS/400 development. Five years ago, he was a one-man IT department at a small hospital in Iowa where he minded two 400s. His boss, the hospital's chief executive officer, saw no reason to invest in upgrading technology or Buck's education and training. Buck felt differently, so he left. His belief in technology and education are being applied to the System i curriculum at Gateway Technical College. READ MORE >

Mad Dog 21/21: To Avatar and Avatar Not
by Hesh Wiener

In the Hindu tradition, an avatar is the physical manifestation of a god; the principal avatars are incarnations of Vishnu, but there are others, too. Similar concepts exist in other religions, even ones that are not dharmic. In computing, an avatar is an animated sprite or icon that represents a real or invented player in a virtual amusement such as Second Life. In finance, an avatar is what IBM set up in Holland to obtain favorable tax treatment for a $12.5 billion stock repurchase, provoking the IRS to ban future incarnations of that particular caper. READ MORE >