"David G. Nagel" wrote in message
...
It should also be pointed out that IBM, when they came up with their
computer, sought out Bill and his buddy and asked them to create the OS
for their radical new computer. Bill originally wanted to sell the OS to
IBM but IBM didn't want to have to support the code. The rest as they say
is history.
Dave N


You've got it backwards.....IBM wanted to buy the code.........Gates
insisted on the license and the ability to sell to third party PC
manufacturers (he declined a multi-million dollar offer from IBM). IBM as
well tried to keep the PC market propriety but between Intel owning the
chip, Microsoft owning the OS and third parties (Compaq I think) cracking
the hardware they could not. For DOS both IBM and Microsoft had separate
support /development teams (Microsoft's much smaller, leaner and more
effective). PC DOS was supported by IBM and MSDOS was supported by
Microsoft. Various DOS version releases flip flopped between the teams. IBM
fully expected OS/2 to render DOS obsolete long before its ultimate demise.
Microsoft's Window development was a bit of a sleeper with ver 3 setting the
stage for a WIN95 knockout.......Rod