3 ms·

I think the author is referencing how IBM and Microsoft originally went in on developing OS/2 as a joint venture, but then when they split ways, MS allegedly* t

I think the author is referencing how IBM and Microsoft originally went in on developing OS/2 as a joint venture, but then when they split ways, MS allegedly* took it's work on OS/2 and used it as a starting point for NT. I say allegedly because this was just passed around as sort of 'common knowledge' in OS/2 community groups back in the late 90's. I've never seen it actually verified.

Maursault 5y ago
I imagine some OS/2 tech got into NT, but I think, in general, this is, in general, false that Microsoft turned OS/2 into their flagship OS, untrue. Windows as we know it didn't technically exist before Cutler and his team developed it at Digital. Somewhere at Digital in the middle 1990's Cutler and team invented an OS and Digital wasn't interested in it. Cutler took his work and his team to Microsoft in late 1998, and the work he brought with him from Digital became Windows NT4.x (not sure when assimilation was first completed) and 2K, XP, Server, 7, 10, etc. The Windows that Microsoft developed prior to Cutler's arrival only bears visual resemblance to previous Windows versions. Windows 1,2,3,95,98 & ME were the products of that previous development, while late NT4, 2K, XP, Server(s), 7, 10, & 11 are instead the direct descendants of the OS Cutler developed at Digital.
- garaetjjte 5y ago
  >Windows as we know it didn't technically exist before That's weird way to put it, kernel was swapped but Win32 was designed to be mostly source compatible with Win16. (and it was available both on WinNT and Win9x)
- digisign 5y ago
  Something is not quite right there because I used Windows NT 3.1 and 3.5 before upgrading to 4.x and while it had the new Next/95 GUI it did not become a different operating system.
- aesthesia 5y ago
  Cutler’s Wikipedia page puts his move to Microsoft in 1988, not 98, which makes the timeline clearer. He was directly involved with the creation of the Windows NT project, which started well before 1998.

Maursault 5y ago

I imagine some OS/2 tech got into NT, but I think, in general, this is, in general, false that Microsoft turned OS/2 into their flagship OS, untrue. Windows as we know it didn't technically exist before Cutler and his team developed it at Digital. Somewhere at Digital in the middle 1990's Cutler and team invented an OS and Digital wasn't interested in it. Cutler took his work and his team to Microsoft in late 1998, and the work he brought with him from Digital became Windows NT4.x (not sure when assimilation was first completed) and 2K, XP, Server, 7, 10, etc. The Windows that Microsoft developed prior to Cutler's arrival only bears visual resemblance to previous Windows versions. Windows 1,2,3,95,98 & ME were the products of that previous development, while late NT4, 2K, XP, Server(s), 7, 10, & 11 are instead the direct descendants of the OS Cutler developed at Digital.

garaetjjte 5y ago
>Windows as we know it didn't technically exist before That's weird way to put it, kernel was swapped but Win32 was designed to be mostly source compatible with Win16. (and it was available both on WinNT and Win9x)
digisign 5y ago
Something is not quite right there because I used Windows NT 3.1 and 3.5 before upgrading to 4.x and while it had the new Next/95 GUI it did not become a different operating system.
aesthesia 5y ago
Cutler’s Wikipedia page puts his move to Microsoft in 1988, not 98, which makes the timeline clearer. He was directly involved with the creation of the Windows NT project, which started well before 1998.