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Os8088: A powerful Mac-like OS for the IBM XT, 286, 386

os8088.com

101–110 of 174 posts

Re: Os8088: A powerful Mac-like OS for the IBM XT, 286, 386

#101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Author of the AI written os8088 OS here... I'm curious about your goal in purchasing this project. You don't get any peer recognition. You don't gain any special skill. You can't copyright it. You can't sell it. You can't use it for anything useful. You can't use it as a learning exercise. It can't really be built on. It can't serve as a tutorial for others to learn. You don't get the satisfaction of a job well don…

This is something that hasn't been done before, and now exists. Yes someone could spend immense amounts of time and effort, but clearly no one bothered to until AI made it easier. yet the complainers will always complain because they don't have anything better to do with their own time... "bugger off!" as they say.

None of what you say answers any of my questions.

It's hard to be impressed when someone purchases a new toaster, even if it's a bespoke toaster.

I want to know what the author thinks he got out of this.

Re: Os8088: A powerful Mac-like OS for the IBM XT, 286, 386

#102
post #2

The graphical operating system that could have been for the IBM XT. A MacOS-like desktop for the Intel 8086, written entirely in real-mode assembly (with Claude). Verified to run on real hardware, with FAT12/16 support, ported apps, games, Sound Blaster support and upcoming Hard Drive support.

Well there was GeoWorks (which AOL used the GUI of to their advantage): https://github.com/bluewaysw/pcgeos

>The SDK requires "sed" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sed) and "perl" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perl) to be installed.

Perl can do sed(1).

Re: Os8088: A powerful Mac-like OS for the IBM XT, 286, 386

#103

This is great - It’s almost as impressive as the “GOS” written for Atari 8-bit running on 6502 at 1.79 MHz. Visually it’s almost identical but has a nicer font. The specs are somewhat similar with 16 task slots, calculator app and task manager, serial mouse support (ST mouse) and Atari’s hardware sprites helping with some of the graphics. The XOR window frame is the same idea. Amazingly, Atari GOS runs in 128K of RAM…

The XOR window frame was on most X11 window managers since late 80's and early 90's.

Re: Os8088: A powerful Mac-like OS for the IBM XT, 286, 386

#105
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Author of the AI written os8088 OS here... Thanks for sharing the promotional video for Visi On. It's cool to see how many different companies gave this a shot back in the 80s.

> Author of the AI written os8088 OS here... I'm curious about your goal in purchasing this project. You don't get any peer recognition. You don't gain any special skill. You can't copyright it. You can't sell it. You can't use it for anything useful. You can't use it as a learning exercise. It can't really be built on. It can't serve as a tutorial for others to learn. You don't get the satisfaction of a job well don…

I'm sure it is a learning exercise in OS development to some extent, just a lightweight exercise compared to doing it 'properly'.

FWIW I don't upvote submissions like this though, because it contributes to a climate of cheap superficial fame.

Re: Os8088: A powerful Mac-like OS for the IBM XT, 286, 386

#106
LLM writes a better ASM then a C compiler? From running the demo in the browser, it seems so performance-wise and size-wise, but the ultimate test should be performed on a real hardware that I have no direct access to.

Anyone can validate the performance on a real PC of the era? If it's confirmed, LLMs may be one of the ways of creating highly optimizing compilers in the future.

Re: Os8088: A powerful Mac-like OS for the IBM XT, 286, 386

#107

It's funny how virtually everyone on HN is using AI to write code and simultaneously dismisses all interesting new software as written by AI.

This is a psychological phenomenon going on right now in the world around AI: gaslight your competitors into doubt and disbelief, then win.

I presume that there were similar movements during 1950-1980s who tried to gaslight the publics against using computers while using the computers to gain a competitive advantage over them.

Re: Os8088: A powerful Mac-like OS for the IBM XT, 286, 386

#108
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Author of the AI written os8088 OS here... Thanks for sharing the promotional video for Visi On. It's cool to see how many different companies gave this a shot back in the 80s.

> Author of the AI written os8088 OS here... I'm curious about your goal in purchasing this project. You don't get any peer recognition. You don't gain any special skill. You can't copyright it. You can't sell it. You can't use it for anything useful. You can't use it as a learning exercise. It can't really be built on. It can't serve as a tutorial for others to learn. You don't get the satisfaction of a job well don…

You are embarrassing yourself.

If you think LLM's allow you to wave a magic wand and anything gets done then you really are so anti LLM that you're now technically way way behind and just irrelevant.

Making software like this person has achieved is not just saying "do it" to an LLM and waking up in the morning.

Your anger towards LLMs has blinded you and set you back whilst everyone else moves ahead.

Re: Os8088: A powerful Mac-like OS for the IBM XT, 286, 386

#109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This kinda almost makes it sound like VisiOn introduced Gates to the GUI which is not true. They were already using and developing for Macintosh machines at Microsoft and had hired Charles Simonyi from PARC with his expertise in GUI systems before Comdex 1982. The story seems to be more that seeing VisiOn gave MS the nudge to get into action on the GUI due to a sense of competition/urgenbcy from VisiOn rather than le…

Stories about Xerox PARC aside, the Apple Lisa was released to the market at the end of January 1983, and I would be surprised if Microsoft wasn't big enough/rich enough at that point to acquire at least a couple of units from the very first batch to mess around with. Windows 1.0 RTM was November 1985.

Microsoft was big enough as they were already selling DOS and DOS software.

Re: Os8088: A powerful Mac-like OS for the IBM XT, 286, 386

#110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Author of the AI written os8088 OS here... I'm curious about your goal in purchasing this project. You don't get any peer recognition. You don't gain any special skill. You can't copyright it. You can't sell it. You can't use it for anything useful. You can't use it as a learning exercise. It can't really be built on. It can't serve as a tutorial for others to learn. You don't get the satisfaction of a job well don…

You are embarrassing yourself. If you think LLM's allow you to wave a magic wand and anything gets done then you really are so anti LLM that you're now technically way way behind and just irrelevant. Making software like this person has achieved is not just saying "do it" to an LLM and waking up in the morning. Your anger towards LLMs has blinded you and set you back whilst everyone else moves ahead.

> If you think LLM's allow you to wave a magic wand and anything gets done then you really are so anti LLM that you're now technically way way behind and just irrelevant.

Honestly, I probably use 'em more than you.

> Your anger towards LLMs has blinded you and set you back whilst everyone else moves ahead.

If it makes you sleep better at night believing that, then sure, go ahead.

The reality is that most people lose any sort of status or respectability when they try to pass off difficult work as their own. This was true before LLMs, and will continue to be true, no matter how often someone shows us their equivalent of finger-painting.

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