IP: Re: Open source and PC

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
> cc: mo () ccr org
> Date: Thu, 08 Nov 2001 21:38:06 -0500
> From: "Mike O'Dell" <mo () ccr org>
>
>
> the last time i checked, IBM invented the PC, and *Intel* is
> responsible for the processor architectural upgrades which
> made it possible to run a real operating system on PC-based
> hardware, in spite of how little use the market-leading software
> made of the hardware's capabilities.
>
> no doubt the availability of the PC as a commodity platform
> has been a boon to many things, including open source software.
> however, the widespread sharing of software and ideas was the
> norm in the computer science community long before Basic was
> invented.
>
> by the late '70s, the Unix community was alive and well when
> Microsoft started organizing the project which eventually
> begot Xenix (and which probably killed one computer company
> in the process).  MS was *extremely* interested in leveraging
> all the Unix software, especially that available for microprocessor
> development.  I know something about this because I interviewed
> with Gates and Letwin for the project in late '79 or early '80.
>
> the thing people miss about "open source" is that without
> network connectivity, it's hard to do distributed development
> with the kind of "turn times" which typify the "open source"
> theology today.
>
> the Usenet Netnews software is the first code I know about
> that was actively developed in a distributed manner, although
> there is probably a case for Bitnet and CSnet software at
> about the same time.  (that's an interesting project for a
> real Historian of Science.) all three of those efforts were
> examples of "networking for the unannointed".  Berkeley Unix
> and the ARPAnet cum nacient Internet community certainly
> blossomed as well, but only for the well-heeled members
> of the research establishment.
>
> now that millions have access to a reasonably high-performance
> network, lots of people are doing open, distributed development.
>
> yes, the PC was certainly there and it has participated.
> as a driver, though, that's revisionist history at its most
> charitable.
>
>         -mo


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