[rescue] 3b1/7300/unixpc/s4 history [was: Wanted - 3B2]

[Patrick Giagnocavo]

Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:

> Around 1990, there were many SysV vendors for the PC, who bought source code
> licenses, and offered their binary products. They had advertising wars over
> who had the best device drivers. Some of them included Apple (A/UX for 
> the 68000), Everex (ESIX) for the PC, Interactive for the PC (later
> bought by Kodak and then sold to SUN), SCO (the original one, not Caldera),
> and so on. Dell got involved too, but I don't know if they bought someone
> else or their own license.
> 

Dell rolled their own, though they may have licensed drivers from 
someone else.  I remember reading a review of Dell UNIX in (I think) PC Mag.

At that time they had Glenn Henry working for them, a former IBM Fellow 
who later went on to make x86-compatible chips at VIA (after VIA bought 
Centaur Technology or whatever it was called).  They also had some other 
sharp folks too, who also left after Dell shut down the UNIX operation.

I think that part of Dell's antipathy towards Un*x in general, comes 
from that early experience of them getting burned.

--Patrick