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IBM's Purple Book and Open Source

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the faint-praise dept.

Bill Kendrick writes: "I noticed a ZDNet article titled "Why we should hail IBM's ode to open source--the Purple Book". It compares IBM's open release of the classic PC's hardware and BIOS specifications with today's OpenSource model and Linux." Shortly after IBM's open-spec PC, they reverted to the closed PS/2 with a patented bus in an attempt to monopolize the exploding market. Hopefully this particular bit of history won't replay itself.

2 of 140 comments (clear)

  1. All Praise Due... by Rooktoven · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey, They _were_ an evil company. But they found religion. Maybe people (and corporations) can change... Besides, they threw a great party at NYC Linuxworld...

    --

    Acquiescence leads to obliteration
  2. Re:The present situation is different by jxqvg · · Score: 5, Funny

    You're absolutely right. IBM made a mistake, and now they're back to being the fuzzy little happy company they used to be back when they were founded by a kind old man with a heart of gold and his loyal wife out in America's heartland.

    We're lucky that IBM has returned to its pure intentions by spreading Linus' Good News to the world, and doing so completely selflessly. As the prophet Stallman says,

    "Thou corporations. Blessed art thou who sharest thy code with those who think they are 'hackers'. Thou shalt be rewarded with respect from thy pimply faced children, and thou shalt inherit warm fuzzies, but not marketshare -- that would be capitalistic." (Stallman 378:42)

    In conclusion, I think we can all rest easy in the knowledge that we all have a multinational ally in our blessed Jihad against the anti-christ and his unbelievers at Microsoft. They are an evil, self-interested demon-corporation.

    IBMah Akbar!