Edit: The link to the comparison chart no longer works. The links to the datasheets no longer work. How much further have we come since this was written?
Originally posted June 22, 2010 on AIXchange
Sometimes I’ll look at the raw computing power that sits on my desk and think back to the IBM XT systems I used years ago. Like a lot of folks in our industry, I go back a ways. I recently found some old floppy disks, and in the pile were some installation disks for some old programs I remember using under DOS on IBM-compatible machines many years ago. I was around when everyone used Lotus 1-2-3 to create spreadsheets, and WordPerfect for word processing. I was messing around prior to that, when my 300 baud acoustic coupler and my phone line would connect me to bulletin board systems (BBS) where I could communicate with others. I can easily recall the days of VisiCalc on the Apple II computer.
Going back even further, I wrote my first school papers using Stylograph on the OS-9 operating system. I remember being astounded by WYSIWYG and the capability to fully justify my text. It’s safe to say that my teachers were impressed by this cutting-edge technology as well. Back then, most students still wrote their papers by hand.
Technologies and applications come and go, and they’ll continue to do so. Microsoft Office didn’t always dominate user workstations, and I’m sure something will eventually emerge to replace it.
Right now there are free alternatives like OpenOffice, StarOffice, and Google docs (see this chart for highlights). I’ve tried many of these solutions–for instance, I use Gmail quite a bit, and when attachments come my way I often view them using Google docs.
I’ve also played around with IBM’s Lotus Symphony. While I’ve been happy with the results, I’ve yet to really give it a workout.
I guess, at the end of the day, I’m OK with Microsoft Office. Likewise, I keep coming back to Windows. Even as fond as I am of VMware workstation (which allows me to run a copy of Windows inside another operating system) and vncviewer (which allows me to view a remote Windows desktop hosted by another machine), I can’t seem to make the full-time switch to a Linux desktop. I’ve tried, but the need for some new app or utility seems to keep me from moving. Frankly, it’s just easier using what everyone else uses.
Another thing that’s easy (at least in my case) is looking back. Even during this spring’s POWER7 announcements, I got a little nostalgic thinking of the earlier iterations of AS/400 and RS/6000 hardware I once administered. It’s not that I want to go back to using those systems–and I sure wouldn’t trade my laptop and today’s software for a 386 running Wordperfect. It’s just fun to think about how far we’ve come–and how much further we’ll go.
I mean, what kind of computers will I be using in another 20 years? I’m sure I’ll be fine with future technology–provided I can still attach my Model M keyboard.
Speaking of POWER7 hardware, if you’re looking for a quick introduction to the new systems, check out these data sheets for the Model 750, Model 770 and Model 780.