The Land Before Linux: Let's Talk About The Unix Desktops
The Register, Saturday, January 27th, 2024
It takes more than open source, it takes open standards and consensus
Today, thanks to Android and ChromeOS, Linux is an important end-user operating system. But, before Linux, there were important Unix desktops, although most of them never made it.
Way back in 1993, I oversaw a PC Magazine feature review on Unix desktops. Yes, that's right, before I was a Linux desktop user, I was a Unix user. Indeed, I've been a Unix fan since 1979, when 2BSD Unix arrived on the scene. But by 1993, numerous Unix desktops had appeared, and I talked the magazine into letting me kick their tires.
My team and I reviewed Unix distros from Consensys, Dell, Interactive Unix, SCO, Univel, Sun, and NeXT. We also looked at but didn't review Unixes from UHC, Microport, and other companies. I guarantee many of you have ever heard of them.