??-2024/11 | What was new in technology in June-1990

"What has always made the state a hell on earth has been precisely that man has tried to make it heaven" - Friedrich H?lderlin

Windows 3.0

That was about time Microsoft introduced Windows 3.0 which was the version which would take over graphical interface world wide. Up to then, only few research workstations, mostly complicated Unix ones and Apple Macintosh based university departments and publishing areas ran alternate solutions.

The article asked with Windows 3.0 was a helper for OS/2 upcoming v2.0. OS/2 would get a new GUI, Workplace Shell over older OS/2 Presentation Manager. Workplace Shell was more complex and interesting than Windows 3.0 but as it happens all the time, not always the seemed best solution wins over customers, but the ones who make sense. Windows was an almost straight forward add-on to DOS computers, needed similar hardware resources and was cheaper to develop. Eventually, Microsoft understood OS/2 NT (which would be a v3) collaboration wouldn't go far and started working on what would ship as Windows NT using a 32-bit API set and graphical interface from Windows 3.1 (launched in 1992).

So to the article question, "Who needs OS/2?" Windows 3.0 was so good to consumers and even OS/2 running a full Windows 3.0 inside it (both OS/2 2.0 and 2.1 ran Windows 3.0 and Windows 3.1 applications) with a lower price when compared to buying DOS and Windows that it eventually took over the market. The 16-bit Windows fit perfectly as starting road to 32-bit NT, hardware took longer and Microsoft used Windows 95 and 98 as bridge up to Windows XP in 2001.

From 1991 DOS was never the same again - DOS 5.0 with Windows 3.0 and later 3.1 soon took over PCs.

Editorial about Taiwan and Soviet Union

Taiwan Computex computer trade show was one of the large and main events every year along CeBit and Comdex - Taiwan was already big on attracting and producing semiconductors worldwide, and although the writing was on the wall, seems only few experts could predict 2022 dominance and importance on this area. I recommend Chris Miller book "Chip War" from that year to learn whole history from mid 1950s onwards.

English version > https://www.amazon.com/Chip-War-Worlds-Critical-Technology-ebook/dp/B09RX4RK6T

Chine version > https://www.amazon.com/Chip-Hardcover-Chinese-Chris-Miller/dp/7213112538/

Vers?o Portuguesa em > https://www.amazon.com.br/guerra-dos-chips-batalha-tecnologia/dp/6559870936

For Russian part of the editorial, the USSR at the time was going on transformation, opening and eventually doing some business with the west, it showed how Russian programmers had to be resourceful and ingenious when working with older western devices and how some approached differently to solutions. Interesting solutions to similar problems.

Home automation

I have never thought about home automation solution at that time but here we are remembering a study on how it would all happen in 2000. 24 years later, it proved to be not a panacea. Consumers don't feel like talking to their home appliances, different integration standards are not supported by all devices (Alexa, Thread/Matter, Google, Apple's HomeKit), and quality hardware vendors still support some of them requiring a lot of effort from regular home owner. While it can be fun for engineering learning, it's hardly near mass adoption today. Note that there was a standard proposition for a common standard.

Wireless Networks

Wireless network were much different at that time, two solutions was RS-232 speed like at 230Kb/s (see below).

Apple in trouble, again

1990 saw another though year with lay offs, confusing product line and pricing that plagued Apple in the 90s. Michael Spinder, COO at the time refused to have affordable product line - personally, I don't find useful compete on price wars on commodity goods, so Apple would/could not benefit operating on losses, but at the same time there was too many disconnected efforts (Taligent, OpenDoc anyone?) and a lot of issues with legacy System 6 and 7 Mac OS versions - eventually first iMac and improved OS by the end of 90's made it competitive again (if not, more palatable to consumers initially). That shows importance of current Mac Mini / Airs (awesome machines) and iPhone and Watch SE.

Interesting solutions at that time

• Tiffany Plus was a Windows 2.0/3.0 application for screen capture. For US$89 you could capture a screen shot frame and save it to file.
• Digital Research was selling a DR-DOS half-slot ISA ROM board for diskless booting.
• PC Power & Cooling had PSU (Power Supply Unit) with an integrated battery that could hold 5 to 10 minute charge like an integrated UPS for USD449.
• Free software? Yes, that was common sense on Unix world, sharing ideas, scripts and code. Gladly still going on along with commercial software, with both being needed on their areas.