[vox] OS/2 and Linux, why has IBM changed?

[Ken Herron]

--On Thursday, May 08, 2003 10:09:27 -0700 Kevin Hooke 
<kevin@kevinhooke.com> wrote:

> Why didn't OS/2 take off? In my opinion, lack of support from IBM
> itself, and probably a screwed up relationship with Microsoft regarding
> the OS/2 kernel which was co-written with Microsoft - incidently, the
> same code that later became the NT kernel... :-) I bet there was some
> legal pressure somewhere regarding this arrangement that prevented IBM
> from fully pushing OS/2.

You may remember that when Win95 was first released, IBM was virtually 
the last PC maker to sign a contract to sell PCs preloaded with Win95. 
The negotiations lasted until something like 11:30 the night before the 
day of the release.

During the MS antitrust trial, some information about these negotiations 
came out. It seems OS/2 was the big sticking point. IBM wanted to sell 
PCs preloaded with OS/2, but MS wasn't having any of that. MS absolutely 
refused to let IBM sell PCs with Win95 unless IBM agreed not to sell PCs 
with OS/2. Given the difference in market demand, IBM didn't have much of 
a choice.

-- 
Kenneth Herron  Kherron@newsguy.com     916-366-7338