Should IBM's OS/2 Be Open-Sourced?
,----[ Quote ]
| A group of die-hard OS/2 users are petitioning IBM—again—to release the
| operating system's source code as open-source. The question may not be
| whether IBM wants to do so... but if it can. Not, I expect, that IBM will
| actually say this out loud.
`----
http://advice.cio.com/esther_schindler/should_ibms_os_2_be_open_sourced
Related:
1989 Bill Gates Talk on Microsoft
,----[ Quote ]
| Bill Gates discusses the software and computer industry, and how Microsoft
| has contributed. Gates also discusses his views on the future of
| the computing industry. The talk was recorded in 1989 but was only
| recently digitized.
`----
http://www.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/media/1989%20Bill%20Gates%20Talk%20on%20Microsoft.html
,----[ Quote ]
| "Some years back, Microsoft practiced a lot of dirty tricks using
| online mavens to go into forums and create Web sites extolling the virtues
| of Windows over OS/2. They were dubbed the Microsoft Munchkins, and it
| was obvious who they were and what they were up to. But their numbers
| and energy (and they way they joined forces with nonaligned dummies who
| liked to pile on) proved too much for IBM marketers, and Windows won
| the operating-system war through fifth-column tactics"
`----
http://worldcadaccess.typepad.com/gizmos/2005/11/2_grassroots_an.html
,----[ Quote ]
| [Steve Ballmer:] "I think we need to think very carefully about how
| much we want Windows to compete with OS/2 in the OEM channel and
| for ISV's attention. The strains that show in our strategy now are
| temporary, and should not allow us to lose sight of the goal of
| making OS/2 the next generation operating system as quickly as possible"
`----
http://edge-op.org/iowa/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/0000/PX00031.pdf
OS/2 is 20 years old today: dead but still walking
,----[ Quote ]
| With the Windows 95 release back in late August of that year,
| Microsoft embarked on a PR blitz such as never before seen, which
| included "convincing" hardware OEMs not to preload "that other OS".
| Even IBM's own PC Division reluctantly agreed to preload OS/2 Warp
| on a line of its Aptiva desktops, but guess what? It was offered in
| a "dual boot" setup, alongside Windows, so buyers had to choose at
| the initial power-up whether to run one or the other. Would the
| Apple of today pre-load OS-X only alongside Vista, instead of
| promoting its own OS? Clearly, IBM's other divisions were
| sabotaging the software division's strategy, all for the
| short-term interest, in other words, Microsoft's advertising dollars.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38666
Secret deals MS uses to control PC companies
,----[ Quote ]
| MDAs are not discounts from royalty rates, Norris adamantly maintained,
| but "a vehicle that Microsoft used in order for us to perform
| activities that benefited them in many ways. It was a vehicle
| that also gave royalty reductions that imposed costs on the
| PC manufacturer, in order to attain the royalty reductions.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/1999/06/10/secret_deals_ms_uses/
Bizarre Windows promo video unleashed
,----[ Quote ]
| According to the actors, W-W-W-Windows/386's main selling point
| is that it looks "just like OS/2", and it can even allow multitasking.
|
| It's easy to see how far we have come in twenty years of hardware
| upgrades: Vista's main selling point, after all, is that it looks
| just like OS/X and can it take advantage of multicore processors
| to allow multitasking.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37252
,----[ Quote ]
| From: w-clairl Thu Jul 25 19:46:22 1991
| To: billg; bradsi; jimail; jonl; mikehal; paulma; richab; russw; scotto;
| steveb;
| Cc: billmi; cameronm; carls; garygi; julieg; martyta; makemap; rogersw;
| w-clairl; w-pamed
| Subject: StevB press tour trip report (long mail)
|
| Date Thu Jul 25 19:33:28 1991
|
|
|
| 4. The demos of OS/2 were excellent, crashing the system had the
| intended effect -- to FUD OS/2 2.0. People paid attention to the demo
| and were often supprised to our favor. Steve positioned it as --OS/2 not
| "bad" but that from a performance and "robustness" standpoint, it is NOT
| better than Windows. We know the design point, we know what's in it.
|
| Forrester Research is publishing a bullitin tomorrow that says "Ballber
| exploded some"myths" about OS/2: It doesn't run Windows applications
| presently, it's not bullit proof and dependable -- MS was able to
| demonstrate several instances of OS/2 crashing!
`----
http://edge-op.org/iowa/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011107/PX_0860.pdf
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft Confidential June 16, 1994
|
| To Brad Silverberg, Brad Chase
|
| From: Adamt
| Cc: Psgmktg
| Re: OS/2 "Crush" Plan - Draft
`----
http://edge-op.org/iowa/www.iowaconsumercase.org/011607/2000/PX02119.pdf
Call to Action: Open Source OS/2 Abandonware
,----[ Quote ]
| Open Source software is expanding on a good speed under OS/2 and
| eComstation and we had seen a lot of examples of good open source
| software. OS/2-eCS developers are joining forces and making better
| software while they share the code and gain knowledge and enhance
| their programming skills.
|
| [...]
|
| In conclusion there still a chance for the OS/2 abandonware to keepb
| eing useful for the community, there is now an alternative for don't
| letting the software die in a drawer. Developers that do not code
| anymore under OS/2 can open source their creations to allow them grow
| in the hands of an open community.
`----
http://www.os2world.com/cgi-bin/news/viewnews.cgi?category=33&id=1158501654
|
|
