This episode of Red Meat Friday isn’t really red meat so much as an account of a skirmish between two bête noires of yore. The two combatants were Microsoft and IBM. Not very long ago they were the two giants in the field and feared by everyone. Younger engineers probably have only vague memories of what Microsoft was like when Gates was still there. They were very aggressive and absolutely committed to crushing anything and anyone they perceived as competition. Still, as an organization they had a West Coast laid-back vibe.
Most younger engineers probably have no memory of the way IBM used to be. That IBM seems like it was from a different century. Actually, it was from a different century. They were straight-laced, buttoned-down, and stiff necked. Andy Tanenbaum (of Minix fame) captures the zeitgeist perfectly in this vignette from his personal FAQ on why he chose an academic rather than industrial career.
“When I was in college, I worked at IBM one summer to earn money. One day I wore a shirt that wasn’t the right shade of white. My coworkers informed me of my transgression and made suggestions for improving matters. In great detail.”
They may still be that way but no one knows or cares anymore.
The story of their squabble is told by Raymond Chen, a longtime Microsoft engineer. The action takes place during the companies’ joint development of OS/2. IBM’s development took place in Boca Raton, Florida. Most of Microsoft’s effort was centered in Redmond but there was a small Microsoft contingent at Boca Raton.
The dispute centered on coffee. The only coffee available at the IBM facility was a particularly execrable slush dispensed by a machine. Naturally, the Microsofties bought their own coffee maker. Naturally, IBM objected. The resulting story is pretty funny and worth reading about. It’s also the only time in a long while that I’ve taken Microsoft’s side on anything.