This month the IBM System 360 turns 50 while Microsoft discontinues support for it's Windows XP operating system.
Fifty
years ago on April 7, IBM
announced the computer that the task force had designed, the System/360. [ See Video ]
The system
eventually became a huge success for the company -- and a good thing too. IBM 's president at the time, Tom Watson, Jr.,
killed off other IBM computer
lines and put the company's full force behind the System/360. IBM 's revenue swelled to $8.3 billion by 1971, up
from $3.6 billion in 1965. Through the 1970s, more than 70 percent of
mainframes sold were IBM 's. By
1982, more than half of IBM 's
revenue came from descendants of the System/360.
But its impact can
be measured by more than just the success it brought to IBM .
When an organization bought a new
computer in the early 1960s it "generally had to throw out all of its
software, or at least rejigger it to work on the new hardware," Spicer
said. "There was no idea of having computers that could run compatible
software over the generations."
Amazingly, IBM has steadfastly
maintained backward compatibility in the decades since. Programs for the
original System/360s can still run, sometimes with only slight modification, on
IBM mainframes today (which is not to say IBM hasn't aggressively urged
customers to upgrade to the latest models for performance improvements).
Compare that longevity to one of
IBM's largest competitors in the software market. This month, Microsoft ends
support for its Windows XP OS after a mere decade since its release.
And speaking of Windows XP, here is an Alert - If you're one of the tens or even hundreds of
millions using the Windows XP operating system on your computer, you may
already know that Microsoft announced it would no longer support the product
after April 8. If you want to understand more, read Microsoft's Support is ending soon article.
You should also be aware of two important potential scam issues. First,
the end of support will likely mean no further security updates for the XP
operating system from Microsoft. It's possible that your existing Internet security
software may be sufficient to
protect you if you keep it up to date. But then again, it may not. You
shouldn’t take a chance, if crooks look to exploit new vulnerabilities in the
software. Microsoft has said its own security suite (Microsoft Security
Essentials) will continue to be updated "for a limited time." If you use another security product, check with the producers about
their plans for continuing coverage.
Secondly, crooks may also try to use this event as
an opportunity to send out a whole host of malware-laden attacks, from pop-ups
and phone calls to email attachments and infected websites, claiming you're at
risk -- when really they're trying to trick you into installing their malware.
Be alert to these risks if you plan to stick with XP.
Scambusters.org Apr’14
