There are advantages to Windows and Linux based PC's because they will be able to use the extra capabilities of the emulators they use to emulate the 3270's. But you are completely correct that you probably don't want very large PC's because most operators would likely use them to play call of duty. Some site use the little micro PC's (very underpowered mini PC's made by companies like BEELINK and INTEL and some others), but still others use thin clients,
All they really need is that ability to load the emulator and provide the operators with a big screen. I have found that the bigger the better and also I have found that using automation products (like the one Syzygy makes SyzMPF/z) to change the attributes of the "important" messages to be Bright red or reverse video works well. When a job starts, it changes the started message to reverse video green, then when the jobs end, if it ends with code zero, it's again reverse video green, if it's between zero and 4, it used reverse blue, between 5 and 8 gets reverse yellow for some things and reverse Pink for production stuff, and anything above that (or an abend) gets reverse video RED. The operators can then "see" without thinking about it if something went wrong. The same is done to important messages, but those are mostly just highlighted. Also, if it's really important, we alter the mode of the console that they are using from roll mode (which no matter what we tell them they use anyway at almost all sites), to RD mode. We also (when something important happens), send them email and text messages, which they tend to like because they don't have to "stare at the screen". The idea is to make them more productive if you can. Brian ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
