In The return of Steve Jobs at Apple (1997) , one of the comments, asked Ivan about the history of Newton and OS / 2. I leave the story of the first Apple PDA model for the future and this time I will focus on the operating system that a priori had everything to succeed but that never really materialize. Although the history of OS / 2 back from 80 to 2005, the year that IBM abandoned the project, I focus on the early years, when IBM and Microsoft worked closely together on the development operating system and what finally led them to divorce. But let's start at the beginning. When IBM launched the project Chess is, to be known as the IBM PC, the company was only a draft of the many he had at the time. The microcomputer market was quite small compared to large accounts with whom Big Blue was working, so Don Estridge, the head of the project, had very few resources and a very limited time to perform. This caused the PC, one of the greatest successes of IBM in the 80's, if not most, had very little to do with what until that time was a ordenaddor IBM.
Until then, IBM is typically designed and constructed if not all of it a very large proportion of all products sold. From hardware (including processor, memory, mass storage, keyboard, printers, etc.) operating system (MVS, for example) or even programming languages \u200b\u200b(FORTRAN or PL / 1 were created in the laboratories of IBM), all being designed from home, and one of the side effects was that customers were completely captive to the blue giant technology. Which, incidentally, used to be a very good quality, truth be told. And it was not exclusive to IBM, choose a platform de los años 60 o 70 era casarse con el fabricante de la misma.
Sin embargo, como se explicaba en Las amistades peligrosas: IBM y Microsoft, 1981 , Don Estridge no tuvo ni los recursos (sólo 12 personas) ni el tiempo (sólo un año) para crear un ordenador que siguiera la filosofía IBM, así que la única forma de alcanzar los objetivos del proyecto era utilizando los productos estándares del mercado en vez de fabricar los propios. Eso implicaba, por supuesto, depender de fabricantes externos para los componentes más importantes y delicados del ordenador como son el procesador (Intel) o el sistema operativo (Microsoft).
Que el IBM PC fuera construido con componentes estándar market had a big implication is that other manufacturers were quite easy to create clones of the IBM PC computers. Of course, Big Blue PC never expected the success it really was, because if they had not taken other design decisions to close most of the competition. After all, when people bought an IBM PC were buying IBM computers, so it was not so much or architecture or software or any other technical feature that made the IBM PC seller in his day were the three IBM's initial bearing his name.
In any case, arrived in 1985 there were two circumstances. The first is that IBM was preparing a new range of computers that will take away the bad taste left by the fiasco of the IBM PCjr (which you can see a picture of an advertisement for Microsoft), the limitations of the IBM PC / AT and the insolence of the manufacturers computer clones. The other reason was that Microsoft was having legal problems with MS-DOS, so that both companies have many reasons for wanting to embark on the development of a new operating system. So the two companies embark on the development of, in his words, the operating system 90. For IBM, OS / 2 was part of a new global strategy being taken by the company so that all computers could interconnect regardless of their size and characteristics. To that end, IBM was developing a new range of microcomputers which would be called PS / 2, which would include much new technology than by IBM's new operating system developed with Microsoft.
From the beginning of the development of OS / 2 were clearly many differences between IBM and Microsoft. To begin, philosophies were completely different. Microsoft is working in small groups (a half dozen or a dozen at most) very cohesive, while IBM groups were large (hundreds of people) and very bureaucratic. The IBM decision is made by committee, while Microsoft left a lot more freedom to their workers when making choices in the product they were developing.
Another important difference between the two companies is that IBM's products have a deserved reputation for reliable, achieved thanks to IBM was in the habit almost unhealthy to try to satiety everything he did, while by that time Microsoft had 2 testers for every 40 programmers. Microsoft's philosophy was to deliver the product as soon as possible and if you have flaws and will correct, while at IBM he cared about was the quality of the final product rather than ahead of everyone with his speed. However, after working with IBM in the OS / 2 Microsoft decided to change its policy of testing and increased the staff of testers to compare the number of testers to programmers.
But if the problems were few cultural differences, the very start of a tragic hang gliding accident took the life of Don Estridge. His replacement was William Lowe, who came from the mainframe section and had no experience in microcomputers. Also lacked the technical skills of Don and, therefore, respect for Bill Gates .
With the PC / AT with less than a year old in the market, Lowe did not want to hear talk in 1985 of 386 processors Intel was still developing, as do an operating system 32 that exploited the features of the new 386 would stop lying to the holders of a PC / AT with a 286. Besides, despite the insistence of Bill Gates to port Windows to OS / 2, this is a text-mode operating system without graphical interface, at least for now. The reason for refusing to use the 386 instead of 286 was much more limited, apart from the company's commitment to existing customers, which IBM sold machines much larger (and therefore more expensive) with a capacity similar to that which would offer a PC with a 386 processor and that Big Blue was not interested in the competition made their own low-end minicomputers and preferred to keep "castrated" the PCs
However, he shot backfired because although initially all clone PC industry movements IBM hoped to replicate, a company forward and will be launched in 1986, the first IBM PC clone PC with 386 processor, which you can see an ad of his in the attached image. This company was Compaq, and from that time the industry changed and the computer on which to rely was that of Compaq. IBM had lost the lead and had to do something. Aside the Apple Macintosh in 1986 began to soar and sold really well. Graphical environments began to be treated as serious computer and began to be borrowed by customers more serious, so an operating system that is considered modern and a future investment could not be limited to only in text mode.
So in 1986, with enough haste, IBM had to change their plans on the fly. After talking with Microsoft, the operating system would also be compatible with the Intel 386 processor, but making it clear that the priority was to focus on the 16-bit system. Similarly, IBM also accepted Microsoft Windows port for OS / 2, but under the condition that will change the name. Thus was born the name of Presentation Manager, the graphical interface of OS / 2.
However, Presentation Manager would not be a port to use Windows, but IBM wanted a series of modifications and additions, so the final result ends up being incompatible with Windows for MS-DOS. Since Windows Presentation Manager and had become so different, Steve Ballmer, until then primarily responsible for relationships with IBM, considered it a waste of resources split Microsoft in two projects of such scope and also competed yes, for what he completely cancel development Windows and focus on OS / 2. Luckily for Microsoft, Bill Gates did not consider it a good idea to go all out to the letter from IBM and Windows could be a very useful shot in the bedroom.
In any case, Presentation Manager was not ready for official release of OS / 2 operating system market as the four new computers PS / 2 IBM in December 1987, of which only one had Intel 386 processor and the other three models had an ancient 286. In the attached picture you can see how it was aesthetically one of the PS / 2, although there semitorre tower models, not just desktop. This first version of OS / 2 was already a fairly robust multitasking operating system and also was able to run DOS applications, but only one at a time. At the time of its release, both Microsoft and IBM saw that OS / 2 would get beat in DOS sales within a couple of years, by late 1989 or early 1990. In the attached picture you can see what the operating system interface in text mode in that December 1987.
Almost a year later, in October 1988, was released version 1.10 which had as its main feature the graphical interface developed by Microsoft, the aforementioned Presentation Manager. But these 11 months gave a long way.
To start, sales of OS / 2 did not finish off. The reasons were varied. On the one hand, the price of the operating system was quite high compared to MS-DOS, $ 325 a copy in front of the $ 99 DOS. Besides, the hardware requirements for OS / 2 was far superior to those of MS-DOS. And last but not least, there was virtually no native software for the new operating system, so it made no sense to spend a fortune to purchase OS / 2 and a computer capable of moving and then still use DOS applications. Which, incidentally, was not emulated 100%, so maybe these DOS applications work properly even under the new operating system.
They say that all you are skinny dog \u200b\u200bfleas. In March 1988, Apple Computer sued Microsoft for infringement of copyright of your Macintosh. According to the company on the block, the first version developed by Microsoft for Windows fulfilled scrupulously all the licenses, but instead the new features and additions included in the current version at the time of Windows, 2.0.3 inflicted up to 13 Apple patents. Here you can see the different graphic environments Macintosh (the original of 1984), Windows 2.0.3 and the first version that finally emerged from Presentation Manager to judge yourselves. Macintosh
Windows 2.0.3
OS / 2 1.10
However, Apple's real goal was not so much as Windows Presentation Manager itself, which was known to be developing I drank from Windows 2.0.3 source. And if this version of Windows infringe the copyright of Apple, of course the graphical interface of OS / 2 also.
Apple's demands not only represented a possible delay in the launch of OS / 2 1.10, but as a side effect consciously sought, many software manufacturers began to be afraid to invest in developing both Windows and OS / 2 under Presentation Manager, because if Microsoft lost the trial and was forced to recall two graphics interfaces all development would be in vain.
Although there were precedents for cheating against the look (not the code) of a computer application, the judge would agree to Microsoft in the same year, and although Apple appealed the sentence and gave many laps the verdict was clear: it was safe to develop graphical interfaces, even if they seem a lot like Apple, which, by the out of step, it seemed also that of Xerox. Microsoft shares doubled in price the day of knowing about the decision.
However, until 1988, Microsoft Windows had given many more sorrow than joy, but as of this year sales of the graphical environment began to take off, and Bill Gates realized that there could hide a winning horse. It is for this reason that, while continuing with the development of OS / 2 and become the main public support even above IBM, Microsoft also began work on the next version of Windows, the 3.0
In 1989 Lowe IBM leaves and takes a job at Xerox, and was replaced by James Cannavino , which had a more technical and even came also from the world of mainframes fairly well understood technology underlying the PCs, however, Gates did not trust Cannavino, since he considered that most of the problems they had found OS / 2 (focusing initially on the 286 when the 386 already on the market, lack of graphical interface for so long and when he finally comes out is incompatible with Windows ...) were the fault of hers.
Nevertheless, in the COMDEX Las Vegas 1989, they announced a new commitment to support OS / 2 and it seemed that limaban differences. Under the new agreement, Microsoft would devote most of their efforts to work on OS / 2, which was destined to rule the mid-range computers and high while Windows would focus on computers lower end to its final demise.
However, especially after seeing the reaction of industry to this agreement, Bill Gates decided to do just the opposite of what was committed, and removed people from OS / 2 to promote the development of Windows 3.0. In any case, the end of 1989, when it said that OS / 2 would exceed the DOS, MS-DOS had a market share of 66% while OS / 2 was not even 1%.
For announcement of Windows 3.0, Bill Gates secured the support of industry heavyweights, even those who until then had remained hesitant to Windows as the people of Lotus. With all the new features included, the new graphical look and all the leading manufacturers of software developed for it, Windows 3.0 became by far the most anticipated software package so far. In the attached picture you can see a screenshot of Windows 3.0 Finally, in September 1990, Microsoft and IBM stopped working together on OS / 2, the first project out and leaving the operating system in the hands of Big Blue.
Of course, the history of OS / 2 does not end in 1990, come new moves, upgrades, business successes and failures ... but as they say, that's another story, and will be counted at the time ...
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