RE: Microsoft and Xenix.

Mike Jagdis
2001-06-23T18:01:05Z

> 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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