I don't really see the point in buying one of these for that much money. The whole point is that these get service and support on contract from IBM. Without that then you're just needlessly...
I don't really see the point in buying one of these for that much money. The whole point is that these get service and support on contract from IBM. Without that then you're just needlessly suffering from massive vendor lock in without while still being on the hook for parts and service.
It's not really often that a products says "don't ever buy me!" this hard.
The important thing with the Support Elements is that they contain the license for running the mainframe. When a customer buys the mainframe from IBM they put a lot more hardware in the frame than the customer bought, generally called "Plan Ahead". The licenses installed in the SE ensures that the customer only has access to what they have paid for. This means no SE = no mainframe. This is also called LICCC (LICense Control Code).
It's not really often that a products says "don't ever buy me!" this hard.
I don't really see the point in buying one of these for that much money. The whole point is that these get service and support on contract from IBM. Without that then you're just needlessly suffering from massive vendor lock in without while still being on the hook for parts and service.
I remember reading about, or possibly watching a TED talk from a teenager who bought an old Cray mainframe to restore a couple years ago.
Found it: https://blog.adafruit.com/2016/04/05/ibm-z890-when-an-18-year-old-buys-a-mainframe/
It's not really often that a products says "don't ever buy me!" this hard.