In the 1980s, Microsoft and IBM tried to build the future of computing together. 💻🤝
They called it OS/2. 💿
And for a moment, it looked like Windows might never win.
> IBM and Microsoft partnered to replace MS-DOS completely.
> OS/2 was their next-generation operating system.
> Proper 32-bit multitasking.
> Rock-solid stability.
> Enterprise-grade performance years ahead of its time.
> While Windows crashed constantly in the 90s…
> OS/2 machines could run for months without rebooting.
> Banks trusted it.
> ATMs ran on it for decades.
> Then everything changed.
> IBM and Microsoft had a massive fallout.
> Microsoft walked away to focus entirely on Windows.
> Without Microsoft, the software ecosystem collapsed.
> Developers stopped building apps for OS/2.
> Windows took over the world.
> IBM kept OS/2 alive for enterprise customers until 2006.
> Most people assumed it died there.
> But it didn’t.
> In 2017, a small company called Arca Noae licensed the code from IBM.
> They released ArcaOS, a modern version of OS/2.
> Added USB 3.0 support.
> Modern drivers.
> Better hardware compatibility.
> And somehow… it’s still getting updates in 2026.
> Mainly used by banks, industrial systems, and hardcore enthusiasts.
> Because rewriting that old software would cost millions.
Most operating systems disappear when they lose the market.
OS/2 refused to die. 🔥