Who was first?

From: Fred Cisin <cisin_at_xenosoft.com>
Date: Sat Jan 24 18:38:11 2004

> Ah,
> http://www.piclist.com/techref/intel/8086.HTM
> THAT explains it :) Compaq's was the first BIOS to be 100% IBM-PC
> compatible.

NO WAY.
99 44/100 % maybe.
"There can NEVER be 100% compatability without copyright infringement."

For example:
The IBM-PC (5150) and subsequent models (XT, AT)
had a byte at FFFF:000E (second to last byte in RAM)
that identified the model. Compaq failed to implement that,
and numerous other MINOR incompatabilities.
(Compaq's response to developers was to recommend searching
a range of RAM for the string "COMPAQ")

Compaq loves to claim first in everything, but there were
lots of little companies that preceded them in almost
everything.

--
Grumpy Ol' Fred     		cisin_at_xenosoft.com
Received on Sat Jan 24 2004 - 18:38:11 GMT

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