[Coco] Microware OS-9 for x86

[Boisy G. Pitre]

On Jun 11, 2010, at 10:02 AM, Allen Huffman wrote:

> The Microware timeline looks something like this -- Boisy may be able to correct my memory if I miss something:
> 
> 1976 - Microware Systems Corporation is formed in Des Moines.
> 1977 - RT68 product for 6800 (never learned anything about this).
> 1980 - OS-9 for 6809
> 1983 - OS-9 for 68000 (or 68K, or "OSK")
> 1989 - OS-9 rewritten in C as "Portable OS-9", named OS-9000 and for PC/AT hardware. Some API differences but much basic C code could be compiled.
> 1995 - OS-9000 ported to PowerPC (? somewhere in here?) then following years for SPARC, ARM, MIPS, SH-3/4, and others.
> 
> At some point, marketing decided to change the name to "OS-9" even though there were MAJOR differences between OS-9 and OS-9000. So, it was "OS-9 for 68K" versus "OS-9 for X86/PowerPC/ARM/etc."
> 
> This caused much confusion ;-) with engineers.
> 
> At one time, there was "Personal OS-9" which was a lower cost package. Microware showed up at 1993 CoCoFEST! in Chicago and sold OS-9000 for PC for like $300 or $400, but that product is long gone.

It was $350 exactly and was sold at that price at the 1993 Chicago CoCoFest.  I a copy of the ad somewhere on my hard drive.

I still remember talking to Mike Burgher about doing that.  We were releasing a new version of OS-9000 with the Ultra C compiler, and had a bunch of soon-to-be obsolete OS-9000 v1.3 (I think) product sitting around OFS.  He brought the idea to Ken and it got approved.  The rest is history.

> Today, it's a high end package for system porting projects -- thousands and thousands of dollars.
> 
> Would RadiSys allow a hobbyist package? I doubt it -- there are only a handful of folks left maintaining OS-9 at this point, mostly serving legacy customers. BUT, it continues to get updated and revised and new features added.
> 
> OS-9 lives on, but not at all like we knew it in the 80s/90s.

True. My understanding is that RadiSys still has a few folks in Des Moines who maintain the kernel and tools.

> -
> Allen Huffman • PO Box 22031 • Clive IA 50325 * 515-999-0227
> Sent from my iPhone 3GS