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IBM Operating Systems

25 Years of IBM's OS/2 342

Posted by samzenpus
from the back-in-the-day dept.
harrymcc writes "On April 2nd, 1987 — 25 years ago today — IBM announced OS/2. It was supposed to be the next-generation operating system that would replace DOS. It never did. But for a famous failure, it's doing okay — it still runs the computers that manage the New York Subway's Metrocard fare cards, for instance. Over at TIME.com, I've taken a look at its occasional triumphs, frequent tribulations and enduring legacy."
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25 Years of IBM's OS/2

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  • by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 02, 2012 @10:11AM (#39548417)

    That, and the fact that OS really ran best with at least 16mb or RAM back in a time when 8mb was considered excessive.
     
    Funny that you can say that with a straight face. Until just very recently 90+% of Slashdotters considered the idea that MSWindows needing even a single k more RAM than a full featured Linux system as a sign of bloat and incompetence on the part of MS. Now people can just shrug it off in a time when doubling your system RAM was no small bill to foot? Wow. Just wow.
     
    I can only imagine the headlines if Windows needed 4 gigs of RAM today to run. These boards would flow red with the backlash. I guess OS/2 gets a pass since it's not Microsoft (or would you rather me call it Micro$oft?)

  • by Drumpig (13514) on Monday April 02, 2012 @10:18AM (#39548465)
    I was using OS/2 when I signed up for this /. ID!
  • by project5117 (2550152) on Monday April 02, 2012 @10:27AM (#39548549)

    10 I
    20 REM FIXED CAPITALIZATION
    30 might have a valid point in there somewhere - but
    40 REM EXTRA COMMA REMOVED
    50 sadly, our grammar and punctuation were so poor that it is lost.
    60 REM PERIOD ADDED

    70 Congratulations,
    80 REM FIXED CAPITALIZATION
    90 my written english is even less readable than INTERCAL!

    100 COMEFROM: 10
    110 Fixed that for you.
    120 And congratulations on learning INTERCAL, I'm still stuck in BASIC dialects.
    130 SYSTEM

  • by project5117 (2550152) on Monday April 02, 2012 @02:43PM (#39551717)
    say certainly /* "i'll give it my best shot" */

    parse upper pull obvious_joke /* retrieve next obvious joke */
    do while (obvious_joke) /* as long as we've got jokes */
    select
    when (grammar_error)
    say requote_with_satirical_comments_added /* need to fill in details here... */
    when (recursion_mentioned)
    do
    NOP /* need to study more SICP to tell this type of joke; try to read SICP, then reread thread */
    end
    otherwise
    if modpoints
    say mod_up_insightful /* well done! */
    else
    say wish_i_had_modpoints /* but good job! somebody with modpoints get in on this */
    end
    parse upper pull obvious_joke /* get the next joke if there is one! */
    end /* done with the post! */

    /* thanks JD, that was a lot of fun */

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