Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!m.cs.uiuc.edu!gillies
From: gillies@m.cs.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Alignment on RS/6000
Message-ID: <3300224@m.cs.uiuc.edu>
Date: 21 Nov 90 19:34:00 GMT
References: <90@<AGLEW>
Lines: 17
Nf-ID: #R:<AGLEW:90:m.cs.uiuc.edu:3300224:000:755
Nf-From: m.cs.uiuc.edu!gillies    Nov 21 13:34:00 1990


I think Andy@Theory.Stanford.Edu has a very warped perspective on
history.  IBM fought 360/370 compatibles every step of the way,
including refusing to release I/O specifications and refusing to
service machines with 3rd party devices and refusing to renew
maintenance contracts on machines owned by customers who purchased
3rd-party devices.

This proprietary dictatorship led to a 10-year government battle to
disband IBM as an illegal monopolistic trust.

IBM is STILL fighting to keep others from making exploiting clones of
their architecture, all the way up until a few years back when they
were forced (by a lawsuit involving hitachi) to offer their operating
system for public sale.

IBM is not now nor ever has been an open architecture company.