4 ms·

In retrospect OS/2 was an OS created for a certain kind of professional user just at the time when the nature of who actually used a computer underwent a fundam

In retrospect OS/2 was an OS created for a certain kind of professional user just at the time when the nature of who actually used a computer underwent a fundamental shift. If you were the kind of customer that had a mainframe in the head office, or maybe an AS/400 and some terminals, and your IT stack was tightly managed, OS/2 would have been quite familiar: Redbooks, prescriptive hardware compatibility, Rexx, manuals with every error code documented, and very IBM-ish approaches to development (eg System Object Model). Sadly for IBM they didnt realize that people wanted an OS that was simple to use and would work well enough on any cheapo PC to get things done without needing a managed IT provider or somesuch. I view NT as Microsoft understanding that while they would never want to be IBM, the Win31/Win95 platform was too fragile to be a basis for the future and that they better take on board some of the lessons of OSes like OS/2 and UNIX before their market window slammed shut.

sedatk 2y ago
That's a good observation. Yes, IBM has always seen the money in enterprise and tried to solely focus on that while Microsoft has been able to remain ambivalent successfully. Both Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 were great success stories for example. Even PS/2 line could be a great consumer product if IBM weren't so adamant on making it an enterprise product line.
- hulitu 2y ago
  > Both Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 were great success stories for example. Maybe un US. In eastern europe was DOS then Win95
SoftTalker 2y ago
Back in the day, large companies would often be "IBM shops," meaning every piece of technology, from the mainframe to every terminal, every PC, every monitor, every printer was made by IBM, they would run OS/2 on the PCs. I worked at such a place for about a year in the ~1993 time frame. The only time non-IBM tech was approved for purchase was if they simply didn't offer the item needed.

sedatk 2y ago

That's a good observation. Yes, IBM has always seen the money in enterprise and tried to solely focus on that while Microsoft has been able to remain ambivalent successfully. Both Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 were great success stories for example. Even PS/2 line could be a great consumer product if IBM weren't so adamant on making it an enterprise product line.

hulitu 2y ago
> Both Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11 were great success stories for example. Maybe un US. In eastern europe was DOS then Win95

SoftTalker 2y ago

Back in the day, large companies would often be "IBM shops," meaning every piece of technology, from the mainframe to every terminal, every PC, every monitor, every printer was made by IBM, they would run OS/2 on the PCs. I worked at such a place for about a year in the ~1993 time frame. The only time non-IBM tech was approved for purchase was if they simply didn't offer the item needed.