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From: tim@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu (Timothy L. Kay)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: IBM's Next User Interfcae
Message-ID: <8164@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Date: 1 Oct 88 02:28:54 GMT
References: <417@nikhefk.UUCP> <216@ists>
Reply-To: tim@cit-vax.UUCP (Timothy L. Kay)
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Lines: 33

In article <216@ists> mike@ists.yorku.ca (Mike Clarkson) writes:
>In article <417@nikhefk.UUCP>, paulm@nikhefk.UUCP (Paul Molenaar) writes:
>> A recent usenet posting stated that IBM payed $10 million for the use
>> of the user interface developed by NeXt.
>> 
>> It aroused a lot of curiosity at my end. For what machines does IBM
>> need this user interface? It has the Presentation Manager for OS/2? Right?
>
>Just speculation, but maybe they're hedging their bets:
>
>	Maybe Apple will win the lawsuit against MSWindows,
>  [deleted]

The IBM interest has nothing to do with OS/2.  IBM has announced and
will soon deliver AIX (their Unix) for both PS/2 Model 80's and 370/XA
machines.  They have had a Unix for their RT's for quite a while.

The deal with Next will give IBM access to a "desktop metaphor"
package to compete with AT&T's Open Look (to which IBM doesn't have
access, since they are committed to OSF).  Both packages are based on
X Windows.

IBM has a big commitment to developing AIX.  I have used all three
versions of AIX, and they are very good.  Don't be surprised if their
AIX catches up and passes OS/2 in popularity very soon after it is
available.  My guess is that IBM will eventually switch to AIX and
drop OS/2.  I base my suspicions on the fact that Unix exists, works,
and is very solid, while OS/2 is a poorly-performing piece of junk put
together hastily by marginal hackers at Microsoft.

These opinions are my own.

Tim