Unix wasn’t very commercial, for the most part, and the commercial versions like Xenix and SCO were often encumbered with odd and changing licensing arrangements. However, you have to remember the operating system landscape back then. post covers just how the conversion to a card-based system pushed OS/2 underground all over the Big Apple, and it is an interesting read. OS/2 was completely eclipsed by other operating systems, notably Windows and - mostly - has sunk from the public view. Why not? It was robust and we used to always say “no one ever got fired for buying IBM.” Back in the 1990s the transit authority decided to adopt IBM’s new OS/2 operating system. A case in point is the New York City subway system. This is especially true if you are building something with a long life span. Next thing you know, that hot new part or piece of software is hard to get or unmaintained.
One problem with building things using state-of-the-art techniques is that sometimes those that look like they will be “the next big thing” turn out to be dead ends.
