Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!hpvcfs1!neff
From: neff@hpvcfs1.HP.COM (Dave Neff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Microsoft, OS/2, and UNIX
Message-ID: <670005@hpvcfs1.HP.COM>
Date: 5 Apr 89 19:24:40 GMT
References: <267.2434BA33@medsoft.uucp>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Vancouver, WA
Lines: 19

I've said this before and not all people agreed with me, but I think
OS/2 is Microsoft's misguided effort to continue to hold a "lock" on the
OS market for PCs and consequently reap more profits (which is not
bad of course).  I also think the effort will fail.

There are versious of Unix that run on 286/386 processors that give
multitasking, multiusers, optional (X) windowing and BETTER support
for old style DOS programs than OS/2.  With OS/2 Microsoft is re-inventing
the wheel in order to keep a lock on the OS market.  Originally,
Microsoft (Bill Gates) claimed DOS would slowly evolve into UNIX.
Instead, OS/2 became their feeble attempt to keep the big big big profits
that Microsoft has gained via DOS.  UNIX is inherently portable and
open, hence has less profit potential than OS/2 -- if OS/2 succeeds.

Since OS/2 has little to commend itself I expect it will go
the way of the dinosaur. 

Dave Neff
att!hpfcla!hpvcla!neff