Bill,
True, OS warp stalled, for the same reason as NeXT, plus it wasn't much of an improvement over Windows.
About mainframes, AS-400 etc. I spent a short stint as a recruiter for IS personel. Our clients included Paramount, Sony etc. Movie companies have huge databases because of complex residual agreements, and extremely complex payroll agreements. Sony (at this time) used a huge mainframe in NY networked to an AS-400 in LA. Sony had a very perceptive IS dept. Countrywide Finance was migrating to an NT system with SQL server, and having problems.
Subaru still uses Amdahl systems.
At this time almost all companies were adding client server systems. But AS-400 was and is doing just fine for companies up to 500M. And the RS-6000 line was also doing fine, you'd be suprised at the size of a corporation that can get by on one of these systems. (Tower Records uses RS-6000 to keep track of its world wide inventory/payroll).
The point I was making: 1) It is pretty rare for core systems to go away. 2) Client server systems have not always been entirely sucessful, especially Windows NT systems. Client server systems look glamourous but good IS departments consider the pros and cons before rushing into these things. Had a lot of promise but they ran into a lot of problems. Rhapsody could solve many of these problems. See post #4188 and #4212. So don't be too quick to think the computer business is locked into Billy Gates. It has changed radically and unexpectedly in the past. Don't forget Y2000 problems. Cobol guys used to make 50k, now they are commanding 100k, to keep those legacy systems going.
Apple's revival would make a great story.
Doren |
