CIOs Say Power Systems Are the Most Reliable
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Server vendors make a lot of noise about how reliable their systems are, but how do they really stack up? It's hard to say. Getting qualitative information out of vendors is easy enough--they all seem to have the most reliable machines ever built--but what about some objective quantitative information that puts these claims to the test? This kind of data is hard to come by, but it does exist. READ MORE >

A Closer Look at IBM's Q2 Server Sales
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

I haven't forgotten that I promised some kind of deeper analysis into IBM's second quarter sales in its Systems and Technology Group. As you well know, Big Blue's financial reports leave as many questions unanswered as replied to when they come out each quarter, leaving us all scratching our heads and wondering how much money the various server lines actually brought in. I wrestled with my spreadsheet model of IBM's server sales last Friday, and here is what I came up with. READ MORE >

Has IBM Given Up on the i?
by Dan Burger

I get the impression there are no night lights in Bob Cancilla's home. Every switch is wired to a high-intensity bulb. The volume on the TV is always on full blast. I wouldn't expect him to have 300-thread-count bed sheets. They'd be #50 grade sandpaper. Cancilla, who is one of the many gurus of the AS/400 community, is a likeable enough guy, but some find him nothing less than acerbic, especially when it comes to the IBM i. He says IBM will drop it in the next five to seven years. READ MORE >

Mad Dog 21/21: Terms and Conditions
by Hesh Wiener

The 22nd Amendment of the United States Constitution limits a President to two terms. It is a model for other laws favoring electoral change, if not progress. Corporate client computers used to have term limits, too; they were usually replaced after 24 to 36 months. No longer. Companies are now slower to oust incumbent hardware and software. Significantly, Windows XP, launched in 2001, will survive for years on its own and also as a guest of Windows 7. This persistence creates a daunting challenge to an industry that had always counted on lively, progressive customers. READ MORE >