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List:       classiccmp
Subject:    Re: Ibm rs6000 7025-f50
From:       Doc Shipley via cctalk <cctalk () classiccmp ! org>
Date:       2017-07-31 15:43:36
Message-ID: 2ea6becb-12bf-b18c-fda1-fc428877b844 () vaxen ! net
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On 7/26/17 8:33 PM, Mark Linimon via cctalk wrote:

>> I emailed IBM regarding a license to do research with
> 
> IBM redid all their websites a few years ago, and finding information
> about systems older than Power7 has become ... challenging.
> 
> They're ... uh, not going to respond to you.  IMHO.

TL;DR:
Mr. Linimon is probably right.

   In... 1998? I bought a 43P 133 "Carolina" system off Ebay, with the 
intention of learning AIX.  At the time, IBM had offered v4.3.2 "free" 
for educational use, so I was confident that I would have no problem 
obtaining license and media.

   There was no link or instructions in that announcement page on their 
website to actually avail myself of the offer, so I called IBM Sales, 
RS/6000 Group.

   No person in the RS/6000 sales group had ever heard of that 
promotional program.  I logged about 15 hours on the phone with them, 
over the space of two weeks.  EVERY conversation went like this:

  "AIX? What is one of your machines' serial number?  We need that to 
access your support contract."
  ....
   Then "That RS/6000 is registered to <Ohio-based leasing company>."
  ....
   "You bought it on *EBAY*???"
  ....
   "We don't SELL AIX.  The license and media are included in your 
support contract."
  ....
   "What do you mean 'free for educational use'...?"

   I eventually located a manager who would give me an email address so 
that I could send this IBM employee, whose job was providing service and 
goods to RS/6000 customers, a link to the web page on ibm.com that 
described the Educational AIX Licensing Program.

   Two or 3 weeks later I received in the mail a 17-page contract 
detailing my obligation to give them a kidney and both pinky toes if I 
dared use my RS/6000 for profit.  I signed it, had it notarized, and 
mailed it back.  Two weeks after that I received a 6-page license 
document and a shiny, shiny set of AIX CDs from IBM.


   I swear this is no exaggeration.  To date, I have never located 
another person who was able to get AIX media through that educational 
program.


	Doc
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