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From: glang@Autodesk.COM (Gary Lang)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: OS/2READ/NEW/FOLLOWUP
Message-ID: <2753@autodesk.COM>
Date: 14 Feb 91 09:12:23 GMT
References: <73605@bu.edu.bu.edu> <8NuZw5w163w@tz.wimsey.bc.ca> <1991Feb7.132453.1@capd.jhuapl.edu>
Organization: Autodesk Inc., Sausalito CA, USA
Lines: 64
In-reply-to: waltrip@capd.jhuapl.edu's message of 7 Feb 91 18:24:53 GMT

>	whatever conclusion they drew.  MicroSoft appears to be developing a
>	portable OS/2 that, last I heard, was supposed to support Windows,
>	PM and be POSIX compliant and be available in a couple of years.

isn't it becoming obvious that OS/2, when it finally becomes a
mainstream OS will be a Unix variant? Why else would Bill buy 20% of
SCO? What else makes sense, spend another 20 years debugging a new
operating system? Their last go-round on this took them 4 years and
the result was an operating system that had Windows with a different
imaging system that noone is supporting but IBM on top of a reasonable
but new (i.e. un-debugged in the field) operating system that didn't
even have a new file system.


You heard it here first: Both MS and Apple will be selling a Unix
variant under the hood of Windows and the Mac within 3 years and we
can get on with the show. In the meantime, NeXT has already seen the
light and built a great computer in this mold. 

This has been my opinion for 6 months or so, and the latest moves to
merge the efforts of MIPS, MS, SGI, and Compaq only serve to
strengthen my belief in this scenario.

One thing I wish IBM would do is realize the marriage is off and take
their commitment to NS to the uh, next step and purge PM from their
strategy and simply use NS as the interface of choice on all of their
platforms. This makes far more sense than taking a hunk of 286
assembler away from Microsoft and trying to implement SAA with it.
Come on big blue, you know that NeXTStep would run quite well on
PS/2's, RS/6000's, and probably even 370's if you'd get off of your
duffs and go for it. 1981 is a dim memory, and if you believe that SAA
is a Good Idea (and it basically is) then use an operating system
(AIX) and an environment provided for somebody a little hungrier than
MS so that you can get back on your feet. This would also support your
standardization on PostScript for printing. Forget bundling ATM with
PM, go for the real thing. Publishers would love you for it.

Otherwise, by the end of the 90's, I can easily see MS being a much
larger company than IBM. I'm not saying this is bad folks, but if I
were IBM, I'd certainly see this as a bad thing.

Executive summary for IBM:

1) Take OS/2 and give it a decent burial.
2) Make SAA a reality, and standardize on UNIX (AIX).
3) use NeXTStep as the standard graphic interface, and come up with 
   a reasonable facsimile for character oriented terminals
4) Buy Borland, and take MS on in the applications market.

Otherwise, Watson will be spinning in his grave in 10 years. THINK
about it.

Maybe IBM should acquire little signs that say THINK and plant then
all over the company. 

All IMHO, etc.



-- 
Gary T. Lang  (415)332-2344 x2702  
Autodesk, Inc.
Sausalito, CA.
MCI: 370-0730