IBM’s ability to impose standards on the personal computer business will be severely challenged over the next couple of years, and this week’s UniForum announcement of Open Desktop for 80386 (and 486) micros running Unix could well prove an even more serious challenge to OS/2 than the Extended Industry Standard Architecture bus poses to the Micro Channel. Open Desktop, put together by Santa Cruz Operation Inc with the help of DEC, Tandy Corp, Locus Computing Corp and Relational Technology Inc, is an integrated operating environment designed to give business and technical users of 80386-based AT-alikes the features and benefits of high-end graphical workstations at micro prices. Costing $1,000 and out in September, with a software developers’ version promised for next month, Open Desktop combines a standard graphical user interface, Relational Technology’s Ingres SQL database, full networking and true virtual memory. Open Desktop therefore effectively gives single-user Unix micros – a multi user version is planned – a complete alternative to OS/2 Extended Edition with Presentation Manager, right down to the ability courtesy of Locus – to run multiple MS-DOS tasks concurrently with Unix. Although DEC and Tandy are the only manufacturers who have formally declared for it, Hewlett-Packard Co, NCR Corp, Unisys Corp, Zenith Data Systems, Data General Corp, NEC Corp, Olivetti & Co, Siemens AG, Wang Laboratories and Wyse Technology are all expected to offer it on their 80386 boxes. It is noteworthy that Microsoft Corp is hedging its bets on IBM succeeding with OS/2 – it has taken a significant stake in Santa Cruz.
