Did the computers used in the moon landing have operating systems? The first 4 bit micro computers came from space research and attempts to reduced the components used to manufacture a terminal. I believe that this 4 bitter and the popular 8 bit chips that followed, the 8008 and the 8080, were mainly booted to assembler programs. To me, that would imply that earlier control systems didn't have operating systems or structured languages like PLM for programming.

I'd be happy if MACers stopped one-fingering the world. (I programmed cross-platform for several years.) In the MAC world you get different MACs that can't read each others' software. So if you upgraded to a powerMAC, you had to buy expensive new copies of PhotoShop.

Althought it's not clearly spelled out in this thread, it sounds like someone got burned by rushing into Windows 2000. One of the old sayings in the systems field is that 'you can tell the pioneer by the arrows in their backs.' Windows 98 was a fix of Windows 95. Windows 98 is a very good product. You can virtually go to the moon on it. If you're struggling with NT, that's a different story. You might have to wait for Windows 2003 before you get a stable product - but it will be worth the wait.

Operating systems are very complex. We take them for granted because they are relatively cheap. I think that Microsoft's products are very good, especially the Visual Studio set of developers' programs. Bill Gates has more money than he needs to buy Big Macs meals, but that's his problem and another story.