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From: eric@snark.UUCP (Eric S. Raymond)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: OS/2 programmer's model
Message-ID: <160@snark.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 8-Sep-87 00:02:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: snark.160
Posted: Tue Sep  8 00:02:40 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 11-Sep-87 04:43:07 EDT
References: <371@micropen>
Organization: Thyrsus Enterprises, Malvern PA 19355
Lines: 21
Summary: There IS no 'point' to OS/2

In article <109@laura.UUCP>, tb@laura.UUCP (Tb) writes:
> Considering all the
> similarities between OS/2 and *IX i wonder "why OS/2 at all". I do not see
> REAL advantages over *IXes. As far as i know Microport offers a package which
> allows one MS-DOS task under their UNIX. So this offers all OS/2 does.
> Any comments ??

The strategic purpose of OS/2 is to wed Fortune 500 companies to 1) IBM's way
of doing things, 2) anything that's not a UNIX.

It has *no* advantages over a UNIX + DOS-bridge combination. None. Maybe it
will someday if somebody writes an application for it with the ground-breaking
quality of a VisiCalc, but don't hold your breath waiting. Any such application
will almost certainly a) be written in a portable HLL (most likely C), and b)
be available under UNIX.

I believe OS/2 is going to become the Edsel of the operating systems market.
-- 
      Eric S. Raymond
      UUCP:  {{seismo,ihnp4,rutgers}!cbmvax,sdcrdcf!burdvax,vu-vlsi}!snark!eric
      Post:  22 South Warren Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355    Phone: (215)-296-5718