Ah, I never saw the architectural problems except the problems with database integration, support and common APIs between the various databases which ORCL and others (SY) had mastered many years before.
What I saw was all the political nonsense that forced OS/2 to a subservient role in the family. There were very, very powerful people in IBM that treated it like a virus.
I caused a furor when somebody leaked me a copy of FRED and I shared it with a few people. IBM was livid and tried hard to get me fired. I was doing mostly database work and was rather agnostic - except ORCL 6.0.32 was a killer product.
I still keep very close tabs on the database world. But not the focus anymore. I’m much more interested in the business and investing aspects and doing a lot of work in open source. Another very, very contentious area for IBM.
Something that I never understood was how IBM didn't manage to take over the banking world with OS/2, given the sheer number of banks that use IBM midrange systems... I don't think that I've ever been in a bank that didn't use IBM System 3x/AS400 for their check clearing, at the very least, and for smaller banks, all of their work. Then, of course, there were the major banks, all using the IBM "big iron." How it was that IBM never got OS/2 into those places as the preferred client is a mystery to me... But then I "cut my teeth" on Novell NetWare, and saw the marketing screw-ups that Novell managed with the introduction of NetWare 4 and NDS. Novell couldn't sell space heaters to eskimos! And I actually installed one of the 4 copies of "blue box" Novell NetWare 3.x for a bank (with an AS/400, but no OS/2 workstations... DOS and Windows with Lan Support and PC Support was no fun back in those days!
Mark