New product?

[Henrik Sundstrom]

In article <1499 at fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov> adam at ncifcrf.gov (Adam W. Feigin) writes:
>Not that anyone asked me, but I just CANT resist:
>
>"Significant for IBM, but not for the rest of us....just another in a
>long series of products that IBM has introduced to try to gain a
>foothold in the workstation market, only to fail in doing so. When
>will they ever learn."

This in response to the upcoming IBM product announcement (February 15, 1990).

As for workstations, the RT isn't the answer to anybodys prayers, and I hesitate
to call any PS/2 a workstation. However, initiated rumor has it that among 
the soon-to-be-released IBM products there is indeed a new line of RISC-based 
workstations (possibly named System 6000) that should put an end to the insistant 
allegations that IBM is unwilling to release any technology which is not at least 
10 years old.

adam at ncifcrf.gov concludes:
>If someone from IBM comes up to you and says they support Unix, run
>very fast in the opposite direction; they are lying.

It is true that UNIX (i.e AIX) is not IBM's most foremost field of interest,
which is reflected by the fact that UNIX revenues represent only 1-2 percent
of IBM's annual revenues for last year. Nevertheless, this rates IBM as the
fifth largest UNIX company in the world in 1989 (UnixWorld, December 1989). 
I have little doubt that IBM will be the no. 1 UNIX company within five years. 
It is my sincere belief that, by that time, the UNIX support and development
efforts of IBM have become more wholehearted.

--
Henrik Sundstrom                         Email: d87hs at efd.lth.se
Student of Computer Science, Lund Institute of Technology (Lund University)
Snail: Bankgatan 14 A, 223 52 LUND, Sweden. Phone: +46 (0)46 18 83 48