RE: Microsoft and Xenix.

Wayne.Brown
2001-06-24T03:00:28Z

I have a complete set of the "XENIX System V" manuals and diskettes (User's
Guide, User's Reference, Runtime Operating System, and Development System) for
the AT&T Personal Computer 6300. The slipcases have the AT&T "Death Star" logo
on the spines, and the manuals have separate copyrights listed for AT&T (1985),
Microsoft (1983, 1984, 1985), and the Santa Cruz Operation (1984, 1985). I
never had a 6300, but I did try booting the install diskette once on a Leading
Edge Model D (PC/XT clone) and to my surprise it booted OK.

Wayne

"Mike Jagdis" <mjagdis@kokuacom.com> on 06/23/2001 12:57:37 PM

To: "Alan Chandler" <alan@chandlerfamily.org.uk>, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
cc: "Rob Landley" <landley@webofficenow.com> (bcc: Wayne
Brown/Corporate/Altec)

Subject: RE: Microsoft and Xenix.

> I hope the following adds a more direct perspective on this, as I
> was a user at the time.

I was _almost_ at university :-). However I do have a first edition
of the IBM Xenix Software Development Guide from december 1984. It has
'84 IBM copyright and '83 MS copyright. The SCO stuff I have goes back
to '83 - MS copyrights on it go back to '81 but that's probably just
the compiler and DOS compatibility.

Basically Xenix was the first MS/IBM attempt at a "real OS" for the
PC. MS realised that multiuser/multitasking was less important than
colour graphics for PC owners and decided to pull out of the Xenix business.
IBM licensed it under their name to keep their desktop computer concept
alive while the Xenix team emerged from the shake out to form SCO.

Mike

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