IBM's Purple Book and Open Source

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.

Comments

I appreciate IBM, but...

[kitmarlowe]

These guys have taken the ball and run with it, as far as Linux is concerned, but let's not deify the group that brought us Microchannel architecture in a move to regain absolute control of the market. Working with IBM in Linux development is good and important, but don't lose sight of their history as a megacorp bound on dominating everything in sight. The only reason they aren't still doing it, is a bigger, meaner and more evil company came along.

The present situation is different

[Tim Macinta]

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.

If I remember my history correctly, the original IBM PC was open-spec only because they didn't have enough time to come up with something proprietary. They wanted to monopolize the market from the start, but they were running behind and had to get something out so as not to lose the market entirely. So, I don't think we have to worry too much about this piece of history repeating itself because their push for openness isn't motivated by time pressures this time (at least I don't think it is).

Re:IBM GRUDGINLY released the BIOS spec.

[ArhcAngel]

Actually as I remember it Rod Canion (Spelling) tried to get his employer at the time (Texas Instruments) to sign off on his grand scheme to steal some of the thunder away from IBM by reverse engineering the BIOS an creating this thing called a PC "Clone". TI summarily dissed the idea since they knew there was no $$ in a consumer PC (Just look how poorly their TI 99-4A did) so Rod set about to do it himself (With $$ borrowed from the TI CU) in his garage. He created this company with a really funny name (Compaq) and then found someone to reverse engineer an IBM PC machines BIOS. Once the person was finished creating a Spec for the BIOS he was paid and sent on his way. Compaq then just used the Spec they had to create a BIOS that was compatible with IBM's. And that, junior, is how babies are born!