[comp.os.os2.misc] microsoft

fly@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (neil aggarwal) (11/17/90)

 Is it true what i hear about Microsoft dropping OS/2 development?
Does this mean that OS/2 version 2.0 will never materialize?
Someone please give me the news straight, i can take it... then again, 
  maybe i cant. 
What would lead Microsoft to do such a thing? were there copyright porbs?
  I think it is sad that the worlds best operating system is being 
droppped.....
  Anyone know anything about this, i am quite concerned..

ballard@cheddar.ucs.ubc.ca (Alan Ballard) (11/17/90)

In article <39821@ut-emx.uucp> fly@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (neil aggarwal) writes:
>
> Is it true what i hear about Microsoft dropping OS/2 development?
>Does this mean that OS/2 version 2.0 will never materialize?
 
Amazing how stories get mis-represented isn't it?  
 
Here's the story according to Microsoft and IBM press releases:
 
-- IBM are taking over OS/2 2.0 from Microsoft.  The Microsoft position appears
   to be that 2.0 is "complete", and that IBM just have to clean up a few
   loose ends.   
-- Microsoft continue to be the primary developers for "Portable OS/2"
   (sometimes called OS/2 3.0). 

There are various ways to interpret this, but there is no way it means there
won't be a 2.0. (With IBM responsible, it may be a bit later, however!)  
 
My personal interpretation is that Microsoft has backed away from OS/2 in the
short term to concentrate on Windows, but still see OS/2 as the longer term 
direction. 

 
Alan Ballard                   | Internet: ballard@ucs.ubc.ca
University Computing Services  |   Bitnet: USERAB1@UBCMTSG
University of British Columbia |    Phone: 604-228-3074
Vancouver B.C. Canada V6R 1W5  |      Fax: 604-228-5116

c186cn@volga.Berkeley.EDU (Andrew Corlett) (11/17/90)

In article <39821@ut-emx.uucp> fly@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (neil aggarwal) writes:
>
> Is it true what i hear about Microsoft dropping OS/2 development?
>Does this mean that OS/2 version 2.0 will never materialize?
>Someone please give me the news straight, i can take it... then again, 
>  maybe i cant. 
>What would lead Microsoft to do such a thing? were there copyright porbs?
>  I think it is sad that the worlds best operating system is being 
>droppped.....
>  Anyone know anything about this, i am quite concerned..


	No. IBM and Microsoft have came to an agreement on OS/2.
IBM will market Windows and Microsoft will sell OS/2 with the ability
to sell it's own version (just as you can buy pc dos or ms dos.)

Andrew
Corlett@cory.berkeley.edu

bking@nro.cs.athabascau.ca (Barry King) (11/23/90)

ballard@cheddar.ucs.ubc.ca (Alan Ballard) writes:
>  
> Here's the story according to Microsoft and IBM press releases:
>  
> -- IBM are taking over OS/2 2.0 from Microsoft.  The Microsoft position appea
>    to be that 2.0 is "complete", and that IBM just have to clean up a few
>    loose ends.   
> -- Microsoft continue to be the primary developers for "Portable OS/2"
>    (sometimes called OS/2 3.0). 
> 
> There are various ways to interpret this, but there is no way it means there
> won't be a 2.0. (With IBM responsible, it may be a bit later, however!)  
>  
> My personal interpretation is that Microsoft has backed away from OS/2 in the
> short term to concentrate on Windows, but still see OS/2 as the longer term 
> direction. 
> 
>  

According to my sources at IBM, the deal reads that Microsoft still has 
influence in the direction of OS/2 but that _coding_ of OS/2 (the 
non-portable versions) will be done by IBM.  IBM now has marketing 
interests in Windows as well and has published positioning announcements 
which inlcude Windows!  The party line is that development efforts were 
being duplicated and were divergent in some areas so this was a 
consolodation effort...sounds reasonable but you know there's more to it 
than that...