On Mon, 8 Aug 1994 14:45:54 -0400, John Buckman wrote:
>As far as Mac server support goes, Apple's PowerPC servers, to be
>released in the Fall, are to support IBM's workplace shell, with,
>I believe, AIX as a possible "personality."  I may be wrong on this
>(it wouldn't be the 1st time) but this should mean that LISTSERV
>will work on Macs by using the IBM/Apple approved "workplace
>shell" running on PowerPCs.
 
Somewhat muddled.  IBM and Apple still haven't achieved closure on a common
Standard Reference Platform (rumors continue to anticipate an announcement
"any day now").
 
IBM's PowerPC now scheduled for October will ship with the buyer's choice
of WindowsNT or AIX (aka PowerOpen) that isn't quite WorkPlaceOS.  The
Macintosh applications services module (Mac "personality" for PowerOpen and
WorkPlaceOS) won't be ready yet.  Evidently, IBM will license System 7.5
from Apple and Big Blue will MANUFACTURE AND SELL the PowerMacintosh (at
least until there's a reference platform that'll run both Apple's and IBM's
OS's out of the box).  According to the trade press, OS/2 will NOT be ready
for the IBM PowerPC when it ships.
 
It certainly *seems* that IBM will be selling a PowerPC that can run the
UNIX or NT versions of LISTSERV, but if IBM competes with itself by selling
PowerMacs (with the soon to be released SoftWindows 486--said to deliver
486DX 33 performance), I wonder how many IBM boxes will be out there
(perhaps a smaller market than for the Mac?).
 
/s Murphy A. Sewall <[log in to unmask]> (203) 486-2489 voice
   Professor of Marketing                          (203) 486-5246 fax