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If IBM had retained DOS, I don't think it would have a 70% share. There were other PC operating systems that were somewhat portable, such as CP/M and whatever D
by raganwald 18y ago
If IBM had retained DOS, I don't think it would have a 70% share. There were other PC operating systems that were somewhat portable, such as CP/M and whatever Digital Research was doing at the time.
My bet is that if there was no MS-DOS, one of the others would have risen in its place.
- edw519 18y agoIBM's mistake wasn't allowing other PC operating systems to survive. (CP/M was only 8 bit and not a threat.) It was allowing Microsoft to license MS-DOS to other hardware manufacturers. They simply didn't understand the threat. They do now. (Another way to think about it: If IBM had retained license to DOS, the only 2 laptops you could buy today would be Apple & Lenova.)