Hacking HP3000 Model Numbers

tmjva writes "A hardware hack reported last Wednesday on the HP3000-L list proved that a newer version of Hewlett Packards's MPE operating system can be loaded on HP's more venerable machines. Normally this is impossible according to HP (the installation message declares this.) This also brings up some important legal questions as convictions and lawsuits have been handed down before for converting HP3000 systems. Since the HP3000 is sold no more and support ends in 2008, HP may decide to show no interest. Then this hack may allow those who are clinging to old machines the ability to upgrade their OS. Those with newer models may also be able to upgrade their intentionally crippled HP3000 processors to equivalent HP9000 speeds as shown in this table."

Comments

One moral of the story...

[zubernerd]

One moral of the story: Be very careful if you are designing you applications/systems around a proprietary system. If the vender decides to go in another direction, or needs to get more systems sales by making a newer version of the proprietary OS intentionally incompatible with older hardware for no other reason than to drive up sales of newer equipement, you may get your 'assets' burned.

Re:One moral of the story...

[mls]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but MPE users are using this platform for the IMAGE database. They have invested lots of time and money into software and development around the IMAGE database and the underlying (and quite limiting) MPE file system.

Remember, this technology is 20+ years old, and there wasn't much competition in the mid-range database market back in the day. There are lots of companies who have done the same around IBM big iron, luckily enough have done so that IBM still provides them with an upgrade path. Unfortunately that is no longer the case for the 3000 users, and for about a decade now, HP has been trying to pursuade them to move to the 9000. And by pursuade, I mean sales tricks like has been described. To some extent, they can justify the premium that people continue to pay to run a 3000, due to the limited demand for the 3000.

This is not too unlike a MS SQL Server + Windows Server + Windows Desktop scenario, but MS has far more marketshare than the 3000 ever did. Regardless, you are right, an all HP system, with no competition is what has done the 3000 users in.

Re:One moral of the story...

[dbatkins]

What's the problem? I work for a HP refurb shop and we sell MPE boxes for hot spares often. I'm sick of people saying propriatary hardware sucks. Bull. This stuff will work for a very long time if treated correctly (We still have stuff from the 70's in stock - working). People will still buy stuff running at 80 mhz because it runs 4ever. If anybody has played with the risc gear they know it's very well made. Seems no matter how hard HP tries to kill MPE it just doesn't die.

Re:One moral of the story...

[tmjva]

Actually our shop is still using an HP3000 in production and expects to be doing so for at least another 5 to 10 years. The thing just keeps on runnin'. A third party vendor has put a decent GUI front end on our main application and it links data seamlessly to other Windows applications. The main reason we hold back against converting to something else is our hardware is fully depreciated. As I agree HP has abandoned the HP3000 user community, I think it is also entirely appropriate HP no longer gets a dime from us. Why waste a few million on a new platforms and new software like SAP when we can keep our business running efficiently at minimal cost?

Re:Okay..

[duffbeer703]

Its like the HP version of IBM's AS/400. Solid, reliable minicomputers that were typically sold with pre-packaged custom applications. Alot of municipal utilities bought out-of-the-box billing systems based on HP3000's for AS/400's.