In a message dated 4/21/2005 11:56:01 AM Central Standard Time,
dmallin@attglobal.net writes:
> Interesting to note that IBM's OS/2 was a real operating system from day 1
> -- some 15 or so years
> ago. It ran in protected mode with preemptive multi-tasking. (unlike M$'s
> amateurish attempts at
> cooperative multi-tasking and crash on everything else in the system mode --
> real junk).
>
> And it beat 95 to market, and could run any 16 bit Windows code better than
> 95.
>
> But as one person on the list once said it lacked quality because it didn't
> sell, and the M$ crap
> did sell. Kind'a like pornography and Triumphs I guess -- pornography sells
> and Triumphs didn't. So
> there you have it.
>
It is also interesting to note that Micro$oft was an early developer of OS2.
But they had a falling out (clash of egos? go figure) and IBM took the
project back. But you are right. You can run a windoze application as a
session
under OS2 and if it crashes the session crashes. Everything else continues on
unaffected.
But Micro$oft figured out early that it could sell a bag of manure with the
right marketing strategy and has adopted the "good enough" approach to software
development. Few users (including me) are willing to uninstall a working OS
in a new computer and install another (at additional cost) especially if it is
as difficult to install and set up as OS2 is. The same holds true for
applications like word processors and internet systems. As long as the
software
from M$ is "good enough" to not piss us off they will retain critical mass.
Dave
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