was: 10 year rule // reliability

On Wed, 17 Nov 2004, Joe R. wrote: It's funny what time will do. In reading through old DDJs and BYTEs (1976) it occurred to me, and was only slightly explicit at the time, that RELIABILITY was the real issue. CP/M-80 wasn't all that sophisticated at the time, in technology terms, it's major advantage was that IT WAS EXCRUCIATINGLY RELIABLE in an era that didn't know what that meant (mostly). It was also appropriate technology; it was a decent subset that fit on "most" (8080/Z80) machines. Very, very well chosen set of parameters for a product. There was so much vaporware (I know, I bought some of it!) at the time it was practically normal; one of DDJ's major rants was on ripoffs and reliability. Kildall's stuff, and Tom Pittman's, were pleasant exceptions. There were many, but there was more crap than good pound for pound in those early S100 days.