I’m spoiled. I cut my teeth on a Digital Equipment PDP-11/34 running RSTS/E. In a career spanning almost 20 years, I’ve used virtually the entire IBM midrange line: the System/34/36/38 and the AS/400 with SSP, CPF, and OS/400. One thing that these computers and operating systems share is stability. I grew up with computers that were nearly bulletproof, believing that programs may crash but computers don’t. When a computer crashed, it was an event.
When microcomputers came on the scene in the late ’70s and early ’80s, I found them to be fascinating toys that allowed me to experiment with digital electronics.
As “microcomputers” were promoted to “personal computers,” I found myself using them for word processing and spreadsheets. However, it wasn’t long before the lack of multitasking, taken for granted with minicomputers, became a nuisance. In my quest for the perfect multitasking PC, I went through the gamut of DOS-based offerings, such as Quarterdeck’s DESQView and early versions of Windows, but none provided the level of stability I desired. Worse, I found myself with a growing library of recovery tools, such as Symantec’s Norton Utilities, which seemed necessary to keep my machines running at all.
After a particularly exasperating episode, I began to think that “stable PC” was an oxymoron. While mulling through a computer magazine, I happened upon an advertisement for an operating system called OS/2, which claimed that it could solve my dilemma. I immediately placed an order for OS/2 2.1. Once I had everything installed, I found that it delivered what it promised. I finally had a PC that let me concentrate on completing my work rather than on recovering my work. OS/2 proved to me that PCs didn’t have to crash.
Over the years, I’ve installed OS/2-based PC networks in my employer’s office as well as for many clients. For the most part, all I’ve had to do was install and configure the operating system and applications, train users on the basics, and walk away. The only times I got called back were when some change was required.
This pleasant situation got disrupted, however, when IBM decided to abandon OS/2 and embrace NT as its preferred desktop operating system. Once IBM announced that its OS/2-based products were to be “stabilized,” I realized that OS/2 was reaching the end of its life. I assumed that, since IBM was supporting NT, it must now be a mature, reliable product. Was I ever wrong!
Because IBM tied the AS/400 to Windows, my employer and clients have since converted to Windows NT 4.0. From a stability standpoint, I’m not much farther ahead
than I was before OS/2. I’ve gone from systems that run flawlessly for months to systems that are lucky to run more than a day without trouble. My “power-users” complain about the random crashes and mystery malfunctions. A few have even inquired about the possibility of reverting to OS/2. I spend much more of my time tracking down frequently inexplicable errors, and I’ve come to detest Windows’ three Rs : retry, reboot, and reinstall.
Some of my peers admit that the reason they’ve pursued Windows gigs is the money. They admit that the aforementioned problems are a great source of revenue. They call this making their “bread and butter”; I call it prostitution.
I wonder why people put up with this bug-ridden software. I suspect that they put up with it because many have never experienced a stable computer. Most have never used anything other than PCs and Windows and just accept that these problems are normal.
Windows 2000 will probably be getting a lot of attention by the time you read this, and, based on historical precedent, I expect a whole new set of problems. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t really care. I’ve found my desktop and server operating system: Linux. It’s given me back the stability and speed I formerly experienced with OS/2, and it can coexist with OS/400. Now I can sleep at night without my phone ringing and announcing yet another unexpected Windows problem. I use Windows where I have to, but now, when I get calls for Windows consulting work, I simply say, “I’m sorry; I don’t do Windows.” I like getting my rest.
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