Glossary
AS/400
IBM's original 1988 midrange business computer platform; the term is still used informally to refer to IBM i systems and shops even though IBM has rebranded the hardware and OS multiple times since.
Launched1988
TypeIBM midrange business server
TodayIBM Power servers running IBM i
Still said out loudEvery day
Where the AS/400 name comes from
IBM shipped the AS/400 in 1988 as its midrange business computer. The hardware line was renamed iSeries, then System i, and today it is IBM Power running the IBM i operating system. The name changed four times. The shops kept saying AS/400.
One line, four names
- AS/400The 1988 original.
- iSeriesThe first rename.
- System iThe second rename.
- IBM Power running IBM iWhere the line is today.
Why 'AS/400 AI' is too broad to buy
Asking for AI on the AS/400 is like asking for tires for a Ford. Which Ford? The phrase does not name a supported configuration. Five details turn it into one.
Five details that make 'AS/400 AI' a real configuration
- Power generation and machine typeThe exact server, not the family name.
- Operating-system partitionsWhich partitions exist and which one runs the model.
- Cores and memoryWhat is free after production takes its share.
- Data connectionHow the model reaches Db2 for i.
- Local or externalWhether the model runs on the box or through an outside service.