3 ms·

Some nits first: > Using a file server meant that PCs could share data with one another, for example permitting the first network-aware PC program of any kind

Some nits first: > Using a file server meant that PCs could share data with one another, for example permitting the first network-aware PC program of any kind – Novell’s network game SNIPES Utter garbage. He didn't even say "first game" which would have been tougher. "first network-aware PC program" ?? get real. > Novell’s proprietary IPX/SPX protocol Which were Xerox's XNS protocols in all but name. > TCP/IP – or Internet Protocol as we used to call it No, we called it "TCP" LAN Manager was a "joint effort" with 3Com (where I was). It was a stunningly bad deal for 3Com and we hated Microsoft at the time. It was Gates' first attempt to defeat Novell, and it failed at that. All the same, Novell wiped the floor with 3Com in the 80s. Their stuff ran on every LAN hardware and ours, of course, only ran on Ethernet.

mistrial9 4y ago
second this - I saw TCP/IP protocol running alongside other network protocols on Ethernet cables at that time. There was fierce business competition already; the technical media usually parroted the marketing leads from the various companies. Within technical academia (ivory tower) and close dot-mil (ARPA) they didn't make much of a public msg, so Byte Magazine readers didn't hear that terminology. Here in California, I never heard anyone say "Internet Protocol" in those days, not once.
- AlbertCory 4y ago
  everything was a TLA then.
lproven 4y ago
Hi. Article author here. Re Snipes: I know of no earlier network-native app for the DOS PC. It's described on Wikipedia as "Snipes [aka 'NSnipes' for 'Network Snipes'] is the first network application ever written for a commercial personal computer" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetWare https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetWare A citation: https://web.archive.org/web/20160728221417/http://www.textmodegames.com/download/snipes.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160728221417/http://www.textmo... If you have a pointer to anything earlier, I'd welcome it, but after all this time I doubt my editors will change the article. :-) IPX/SPX was indeed based on XNS, as was Banyan's version, but it wasn't compatible with it. IPX was, I suspect, vastly more widely used than any other flavour of XNS ever. > No, we called it "TCP" Hey, it's a big planet, you know. You used 3 of the 5 letters, some others used the other 2 letters, or to make it easier, the words they stood for.

mistrial9 4y ago

second this - I saw TCP/IP protocol running alongside other network protocols on Ethernet cables at that time. There was fierce business competition already; the technical media usually parroted the marketing leads from the various companies. Within technical academia (ivory tower) and close dot-mil (ARPA) they didn't make much of a public msg, so Byte Magazine readers didn't hear that terminology. Here in California, I never heard anyone say "Internet Protocol" in those days, not once.

AlbertCory 4y ago
everything was a TLA then.

lproven 4y ago

Hi. Article author here. Re Snipes: I know of no earlier network-native app for the DOS PC. It's described on Wikipedia as "Snipes [aka 'NSnipes' for 'Network Snipes'] is the first network application ever written for a commercial personal computer" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetWare https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetWare A citation: https://web.archive.org/web/20160728221417/http://www.textmodegames.com/download/snipes.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160728221417/http://www.textmo... If you have a pointer to anything earlier, I'd welcome it, but after all this time I doubt my editors will change the article. :-) IPX/SPX was indeed based on XNS, as was Banyan's version, but it wasn't compatible with it. IPX was, I suspect, vastly more widely used than any other flavour of XNS ever. > No, we called it "TCP" Hey, it's a big planet, you know. You used 3 of the 5 letters, some others used the other 2 letters, or to make it easier, the words they stood for.