I also disagree with many items in the article.

Ignoring architectures like the PDP-11 and implying that multi-user started 
with VMS is just plain wrong.   The PDP-11 was a premier platform for 
multi-user operating systems like RSTS, RSX-11, and Unix to name just a few.

Secondly the movement of the Linux kernel from being a single-architecture 
32-bit architecture to being a N-architecture, 32/64 bit kernel had immense 
impact on the computer industry and that was facilitated by the Linux/Alpha 
project.

Finally, I disagree that WNT was based either on OS/2 or VMS.   It was based on 
a micro-kernel system that was developed by Dave Cutler and his crew, and 
transported to Microsoft when Dave left and went there.   This was one reason 
why the three architectures that were supported by WNT at the announcement were 
Intel, MIPS and Alpha.   MIPS was dropped before shipping since DEC did not 
care about it anymore.   Alpha was dropped as soon as Microsoft could scrub all 
the code that came from DEC.

I am familiar with this history since I was one of the people that Dave Cutler 
interviewed for being a product manager for the system when Dave was still 
working for DEC.   It was only months later that he left for Microsoft.

md



> On 10/07/2023 4:35 PM EDT mik...@colossus.bilow.com wrote:
>  
>  
> 
> It's a great article. I was the principal consultant for IDS in that era, and 
> there is a staff alumni group active on Facebook where I posted this link.
> 
> I disagree with a number of the claims in the article, especially that 
> Windows NT was based on VMS when in fact it was based on and developed using 
> OS/2. There is a good and detailed book about this:
> 
> https://www.gpascalzachary.com/showstopper__the_breakneck_race_to_create_windows_nt_and_the_next_generation_at_m_50101.htm
> 
>  
> 
> On 10/7/23 16:07, Don wrote:
> 
> > https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/10/long-gone-dec-is-still-powering-the-world-of-computing/
> > 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> _______________________________________________
> gnhlug-discuss mailing list
> gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org
> http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
> 
_______________________________________________
gnhlug-discuss mailing list
gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org
http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/

Reply via email to