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From: gary@dvnspc1.Dev.Unisys.COM (Gary Barrett)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Re: IBM and Apple Operating Systems (Re: dosread.c again)
Message-ID: <843@dvnspc1.Dev.Unisys.COM>
Date: 31 Oct 89 13:21:48 GMT
References: <6661@ficc.uu.net> <10609@cbnews.ATT.COM> <143@asihub.UUCP>
Followup-To: comp.os.minix
Organization: Unisys Corporation, Devon, PA
Lines: 38

> 
> Microsoft and IBM simply blew it when designing MSDOS and the PC.  They 
> certainly didn't WANT to produce a weak, overpriced, under-powered computer
> with a toy operating system which was behind the times before its time.
> 
> They just DID!


It is easy to forget that the first PCs were targeted to compete with
such rivals as the TRS80 and APPLE.  They even came with a
built-in audio cassette interface for I/O, not floppies (a luxury
addon) or hard-disk (even more wondrous yet).   This was the days when
personal computers were truly personal.  I would bet that even IBM
never foresaw the PC taking over the office-place.  But they wanted
to forestall Tandy and Apple from gaining a monopoly in that sector, just 
in case.

I remember  a PC looking darn good to me.

To say that Microsoft and IBM blew it, at least as far as 
the DOS PC, seems to be a bit of 20/20 hindsight.  They must have
done something right, because that same DOS/PC "standard" (hardware
combined with software) has held up fairly well, from the earliest
PC to the 386-based machines of today.   It may be time to evolve that
standard, but I take my hat off to Microsoft and IBM for a job well
done.  They got us where we are.

In a way, it is the PC's success that has held it back .  Of course,
people like Jobs can be revolutionary with NeXT machines and the like.
They don't have to worry about a huge user base OR tons of software
which must migrate to each new level of software and hardware.
-- 
========================================================================
Gary L. Barrett

My employer may or may not agree with my opinions.
And I may or may not agree with my employer's opinions.
========================================================================