[Bayaz]

I don’t really have anything to contribute, but feel compelled to express how depressing it is to see IBM today.

My first computer was an IBM PS/2 Model 25. It came with a budget version of the Model M keyboard, but without the number pad. It’s still the gold standard for how a keyboard should feel. If it wasn’t an IBM computer then it was a cheap clone.

Later in life, I was inspired to go to law school because of the SCO vs IBM case, and the excellent lawyering by IBM’s counsel.

Now, it’s like watching a zombie movie. I don’t even know what they do anymore.

[akaahduofjdr]

I agree with you about this but have an even darker take in that I see the exact same lack of vision in every single large tech company out there today. I mean, IBM does actually sell hardware and software ...that's a lot more than you can say about some of the other big names out there.

I have a theory that the death of the traditional computer company and it's buisness model, in the sense a company like an Oxide or IBM or Sun would understand the term "computer company", as well as the transition to the cloud for all new infrastructure, fundamentally changed the landscape in tech in a very negative way culturally speaking.

The hyperspecialization of the industry and consolidation of hardware into a single dominant platform for most serious buisness computing needs, obviated the need for traditional engineering cultures. It's hardly any wonder that this same transition also was a transition towards Agile development methods (or rather a cheap imitation of them, if it was ever even intended to be some paradigm shift at all).

The industry and the vibes I got were radically different and better even during ostensibly difficult times like right after dotcom.

[lotsofpulp]

> I mean, IBM does actually sell hardware and software ...that's a lot more than you can say about some of the other big names out there.

The other big names do, they just rent it instead of selling it. All the data centers/custom processors in cloud services are hardware and software, not to mention Apple’s hardware for consumers, and Microsoft’s surface tablets and Xbox, and Alphabet’s phones, Meta’s headsets, Nvidia’s GPUs, etc.

[linuxlizard]

My first computer was also an IBM PS/2 Model 25. Was an amazing little machine. I ran Turbo Pascal on it for my undergrad CS degree. Great times.