[Am-info] Re: adopting alternative OSes

[Mitch Stone]

I don't question for a moment doubt IBM's mismanagement of Warp -- in 
fact from what I have heard (mainly on this list), this seems to be one 
of the great missed opportunities in recent technology history. My 
point being still that it takes much more than a few millions and a 
good product to crack the Microsoft hegemony in the OEM market (ask 
Jean Louis Gasse). You can't say that IBM did not try at all -- they 
had the product, the PC manufacturing arm, the cash, and most 
importantly, the brand name. Their failure to put all of these elements 
together suggests that the problem of succeeding in this market is 
greater then you may assume. Rightly or wrongly, IBM calculated that 
they were not likely to succeed.

MacOSX is not a "derivative" of the Mach kernal, it uses the Mach 
kernal. A point of order, for whatever it's worth...

On Saturday, April 26, 2003, at 10:41 PM, mike wrote:

> Well then.  Perhaps I should have made the point clearer for you.  I 
> think I could have done a thousand times better at 
> marketing/supporting Warp than IBM ever did..   And unlike many who 
> did nothing, I was involved with Warp at the time with IBM.  I did 
> what I could but I was limited by management.  If we would have been 
> let loose to do what we wanted in 1992 and 1993/94, I am sure Warp 
> would have passed the 25% market share....  and at that point it would 
> have surpassed critical mass. Akers wanted to split the company up and 
> let the software division go on its own, much like the Lexmark 
> experience.  However Gerstner came in and put a stop to it.  In 
> hindsight that was a big mistake on Gerstner's part.
>
> But yes I think if I had a few millions and the Warp development team, 
> I could put something together.....  At least as good as the Linux 
> stuff that is around.  And at least as good as the Mac alternative.  
> and without the burdon of IBM I think it could be sold to OEM 
> suppliers.
>
> But of course you are more knowledgeable about operating systems than 
> I am....  I am limited to knowledge of Dos, CPM, CPM86, PCMos, MUFO, 
> Windows, OS/2, BEos, SCO Unix, And Linux.  I am not too familiar with 
> the MAC's system 10.  But since it is derivitive of the Mach kernal, I 
> suspect I could become familiar with it in a few weeks.
>
> Anyhow it is fruitless to be skeptical of another persons dreams.   
> Unless you are prepared to change it to a reality and write the 
> cheque....

   -----------
   Mitch Stone
   mitch@accidentalexpert.com

   In America you can go on the air and kid the politicians, and
   the politicians can go on the air and kid the people.
   -- Groucho Marx