Having decided that its mainstream future lies with Unix, Nixdorf Computer AG is effectively finally pulling out of the IBM 370-compatible mid-range systems market altogether, and handing its customers that insist on remaining in the IBM world over to Comparex Informationssysteme GmbH. Having to cut its coat according to its cloth these days, Nixdorf is dumping its 370 business because it couldn’t afford the development costs for both 370 and Unix, and because its 8890-D models had already reached maximum capability – and Nixdorf was unable to reach an acceptable licensing agreement with IBM to take its customers up to MVS. But Computerwoche finds that there are some very unhappy users in the Nixdorf 8890 camp, not least because it is now believed that Nixdorf decided to major on Unix several years ago, but neglected to advise its 8890 customers of the fact. Josef Fromme of Hesse GmbH, Hamm, one of the dissatisfied 8890 customers, says his company installed a 8890-D23 early on this year in preparation for the new release of the Nidos/VSE unlicensed rewrite of IBM’s DOS/VSE announced by Nixdorf – but the new release was never delivered. Nixdorf says that the new release had been planned and that development had begun, but it had decided not to complete the thing because it didn’t want to have to support it indefinitely. And Comparex wasn’t prepared to take over the effort because it didn’t want to get involved in its own operating software, preferring simply to have its customers license their operating systems from IBM. Under the arrangement with Comparex, 8890 customers will still place their orders with Nixdorf but Comparex will be responsible for delivery and after-purchase service. Comparex has until the end of 1995 to take over full responsibility for the 8890s. In the meantime, says the West German weekly, 8890 customers are playing piggy-in the-middle with the two companies, and suggests that for maintenance, they may have to go to IBM itself.
