The Wake roused national interest in the HP 3000 and MPE

The string of gatherings around the world to remember the HP 3000 on Oct. 31 drew the interest of mainstream media in the US and the UK, including some of the first notice from the business press in several years. But no outlets devoted mainline coverage to the impressive array of parties and commemorations; instead, Web-based reports appeared from print publishers and ABC News. HP and the full complement of October customers continued to use the server during November, but the Wall Street Journal, Computerworld and the UK’s The Register reported on HP’s end of sales. HP’s e3000 team members took part in wakes on Oct. 30 and 31, with photos posted online at wake organizer Alan Yeo’s Web site. The Web server (at 207.21.244.161/hpwake) bristled with pictures and had attendee rosters from more than 50 sites in the days after the wakes.

Yeo, president of 3000 and transition software provider ScreenJet Ltd., said “The wake wasn’t intended to be promoting anything, just a recognition that the date does sort of mark a point of no return, and it will be sad.” He had reported that the information on the server would be deleted after Oct. 31, but photos were still available to view as of Nov. 7, so members of the 3000 community might want to hurry if they want to see their cohorts lifting a glass or indulging in rich gallows humor about the computer’s “death.”