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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.

13 of 140 comments (clear)

  1. I have these Technical Reference Binders by Royster · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    I have a DOS Technical Reference, an IBM PC Hardware Technical Reference and an IBM AT Hardware technical Reference. These were the old style looseleaf format binder in a slipcover. I read the commented assembler listing of the BIOS. I learned quite a bit of assembler language from that reference.

    I should probably sell them on eBay.

    --
    I have discovered a truly marvelous sig, unfortunately the sig limit is too small to contain i
  2. Re:take a look at my purple book by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Nice.

    your open source is much bigger than mine.
    I commend you on, and shudder at how much work you put into that. Incedentally, what else have you put into that?

  3. Re:Frist Ps0t? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I like boobies!

  4. Re:Overrated my ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    <i>Y'all can suck my ballz. </i>
    Can I really?

  5. Re:Overrated my ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Sure!

  6. Re:I appreciate IBM, but... by bentini · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    About your sig:

    Interesting idea, but it doesn't quite work. True, either sentence could be false, but as long as one and only one is true, the whole statement is self consistent. I believe the idea you're looking for is:

    the following sentence is a lie. the preceding sentence is true.

  7. take a look at my purple book by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic


    here's my open source!
    * g o a t s e x * g o a t s e x * g o a t s e x *
    g g
    o / \ \ / \ o
    a| | \ | | a
    t| `. | | : t
    s` | | \| | s
    e \ | / / \\\ --__ \\ : e
    x \ \/ _--~~ ~--__| \ | x
    * \ \_-~ ~-_\ | *
    g \_ \ _.--------.______\| | g
    o \ \______// _ ___ _ (_(__> \ | o
    a \ . C ___) ______ (_(____> | / a
    t /\ | C ____)/ \ (_____> |_/ t
    s / /\| C_____) | (___> / \ s
    e | ( _C_____)\______/ // _/ / \ e
    x | \ |__ \\_________// (__/ | x
    * | \ \____) `---- --' | *
    g | \_ ___\ /_ _/ | g
    o | / | | \ | o
    a | | / \ \ | a
    t | / / | | \ |t
    s | / / \__/\___/ | |s
    e | / / | | | |e
    x | | | | | |x
    * g o a t s e x * g o a t s e x * g o a t s e x *

  8. Frist Ps0t? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Je croix que oui. Props to SFI homiez.

  9. Free Software by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Free software is great. But after two or three years, I still don't know what "open source" is supposed to be... Any definition which encompasses the SCSL, the NPL, and perhaps even Microsofts "Shared Source" must be so broad as to be practially meaningless.

  10. Re:Drunk bastards! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    This Friday I'm not drunk. I've got to go to my sister's wedding tomorrow and I can't afford to show up half-drunk or even hungover.

  11. Re:Interesting and True by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    This is not off topic. /. is where all you damn Linux idiots hang out and have stupid conversations about Linux. This is merely an opposing view.

  12. Interesting and True by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Linux sucks. Linux is just for little cry babies who can't afford a real OS. Go get a life.

  13. Re:I like IBM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Mod this one up. It is so true!!!