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You can't even admit that OS licensing was a brilliant move, as opposed to a stroke of "luck". You're hopeless.

I admit it was a great move, lucky in that IBM misjudged the future so much and allowed it. Lucky in that Kildall wasn't home, because that's even the OS Gates suggested they go with since he didn't have any experience writing an OS.

A few posts back, you argued that Microsoft wasn't competing against IBM. I just pointed out that, in fact, Windows came out before OS/2.

And therefore there was no competition until OS/2. Actually, there was a lot of cooperation until Microsoft decided to end the partnership. That's the reason for all the OS/2 files in Windows NT.

Are you seriously deluded enough to think that IBM didn't know what was going on?

That is absolutely what was going on. IBM was still in its old model and didn't believe real money was to be made in the OS. They also believed they owned the PC market and therefore there would be no other PC makers for Gates to sell his OS to. So they paid about $80,000 and no royalties. IBM then sued a couple attemted clone manufacturers, but then Compaq did a clean-room, and soon after Bill had lots of people to sell his OS to.

Virtual PC is available as a separate SKU on Windows. It doesn't have to be incorporated.

That's not the point. What I mean is seamless, behind-the-scenes emulation of old-architecture Windows on a new-architecture Windows. That way Vista could have been new instead of a hodge-podge of wrappers. Maybe installing an app could be as easy as it is on the Mac, just drop the folder onto your hard drive (that's how MS Office installs).

Which is a damned fine operating system. Even you have to admit that.

I will admit unconditionally that it is the finest operating system Microsoft has ever produced, a big improvement over any previous version.

Surge? Is that what it is? LMAO! Wake me up when they crack 5%.

Yes, surge, a relative term. When your sales go up far past the average for PC sales, and your marketshare gains in mid double-digits, that's a big surge. Those millions of sales had to come from somewhere.

I admit it was a great move

Thanks for admitting the obvious.

That is absolutely what was going on.

Gates and IBM signed a non-exclusive agreement. IBM attorneys knew that the agreement was non-exclusive and, regardless of your protestations to the contrary, IBM doesn't employ dumb attorneys. They understand the nature of the document that they were signing. It wasn't luck that caused them to put pen to paper and sign.

What I mean is seamless, behind-the-scenes emulation of old-architecture Windows on a new-architecture Windows. That way Vista could have been new instead of a hodge-podge of wrappers.

There's no need for emulation. Windows will run with reduced privilege accounts by default, which eliminates the vast majority of threats. That capability is already built into XP -- it just isn't enabled by default. Consequently, there's no reason to require emulation. The reason that Apple has had to require emulation is that it has changed processors several times. Apple was *forced* into requiring emulation. It didn't do so because it was more architecturally "pure".

I will admit unconditionally that it is the finest operating system Microsoft has ever produced, a big improvement over any previous version.

That's big of you. Too bad there's a veiled caveat attached to your declaration.

Yes, surge, a relative term. When your sales go up far past the average for PC sales, and your marketshare gains in mid double-digits, that's a big surge. Those millions of sales had to come from somewhere.

Like I said, wake me up when you get to 5%.