Author Topic: BlastFromThePast: 1998 - Ralph Nader asked for OS/2's Source Code  (Read 7506 times)

Martin Iturbide

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Hi

I don't know how I get into this subject by searching on the Internet. On 1998 I was on the University minding my own dumb business and without much knowledge of the OS/2 community. I knew OS/2 at that time, I used Warp 3 but I was not an active member and I never knew about this, so I post it as "funny fact" or "blast from the past".

While on 1998 Lou Gerstner already decided to pull the plug on OS/2, we didn't know about it. IBM didn't go straight to everyone and told us Lou's strategy.  Ralph Nader from the other side requested IBM to give away OS/2 source code (or give OS/2 for free) since he noticed that Microsoft was an evil monopoly.

Ralph Nader told "IBM should consider following the Netscape example and release the source code for OS2, and permit computer users to modify and freely distribute copies of OS2."

At that moment some journalist (ex:  Paul Thurrott) disqualified Ralph almost saying that he does not nothing about computer software.  Some OS/2 developer company came out to defend IBM telling that IBM was doing a great job with ISVs on 1998.

Ralph is defined on wikipedia as:
"Ralph Nader (/ˈneɪdər/, Arabic: رالف نادر; born February 27, 1934)[4][5] is an American political activist of Lebanese origin, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government.[6]"

He was a five-time candidate for President of the United States with the democrats... and I don't remember him winning :)

I do not live on the US, maybe people that remember him have their own political opinions on him. Maybe he was a crazy democrat that wanted all Americans to live naked and smoke pot (joke, I don't really know anything about him). Even the organization he created (Public Citizen) disassociate away from him.

But today (Ralph Nader is 81 years old) maybe I can say that he had some reason after all.

I just put some links about what I can find about this subject on the wiki: http://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Ralph_Nader. I want to read more sources about this subject, just for the fun of it.

Regards
« Last Edit: May 24, 2015, 02:24:22 am by Martin Iturbide »
Martin Iturbide
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Martin Iturbide

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Re: BlastFromThePast: 1998 - Ralph Nader asked for OS/2's Source Code
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2015, 02:21:08 am »
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20001016112213/http://www.essential.org/antitrust/ms/lvgjun8.html

Quote


Ralph Nader
P.O. Box 19312, Washington, DC 20036
Ralph@essential.org

James Love
Consumer Project on Technology
P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
202.387.8030 | http://www.cptech.org | love@cptech.org

June 8, 1998*

Louis V. Gerstner, Jr.
Chairman and CEO
IBM
New Orchard Road
Armonk, NY 10504

Dear Mr. Gerstner,

We are writing to ask that IBM stop forcing customers who buy IBM personal computers to purchase Microsoft Windows. You should give your PC customers an opportunity to buy a non-Microsoft operating system, or at a minimum to permit the consumer to buy a PC from IBM without any operating system.

We were surprised to learn that IBM will not permit consumers to buy IBM Aptiva computers with IBM's OS/2 operating system installed. Indeed, when consumers contact IBM to purchase an Aptiva computer, they are told that the only way to get OS/2 is to buy a PC with Microsoft Windows 95 installed, and then pay an extra $199 ($275 in one call) for a shrink wrapped copy of OS/2, which consumers will have to install themselves. While the Microsoft End-User License Agreement (EULA) says that a consumer who does not agree to the terms of the Microsoft Windows 95 license can return the software to IBM for a refund, IBM tells consumers that the refund is zero.

Millions of OS/2 users are bitterly disappointed at IBM's failure to promote and improve the OS/2 platform as an alternative to Microsoft Windows. Perhaps IBM should consider following the Netscape example, and release the source code for OS/2, and permit computer users to modify and freely distribute copies of OS/2. We would like to discuss this matter further with you or your staff.

Sincerely,
/s/

Ralph Nader

/s/

James Love

* Corrected for typos.
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Dave Yeo

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Re: BlastFromThePast: 1998 - Ralph Nader asked for OS/2's Source Code
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2015, 06:36:49 am »
Ralph Nader was more of an independent then Democrat. I mostly remember him as the guy who forced the American automotive industry to consider safety. (I'm Canadian)

Martin Iturbide

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Re: BlastFromThePast: 1998 - Ralph Nader asked for OS/2's Source Code
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2015, 07:32:51 pm »
Thanks for the feedback Dave. I will read more about this subject for my amusement.
Martin Iturbide
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