By Susan J. Shepard from the July 1987 issue of Computer Language The Intel 80386 microprocessor is here—at last. It is proving to be all that we expected, and the last obstacle to 386 supermicrocomputers is an operating system that can avail the developer and user of its power. It will provide a powerful and affordable platform for expert systems and other AI applications that are truly useful. AI has been been waiting for this chip; many AI applications developers whispering, “When the 386 is available…” and hinting of powerful systems for the desktop and a rich development environment for the programmer working and learning in the real world.

A Good Buy on UNIX Special Report by Dean Hannotte from the June 12, 1984 issue of PC Magazine The Mark Williams Company’s COHERENT operating system is a rewritten version of the seventh edition of UNIX, with some extensions and enhancements. Regrettably, it has incoherencies. The Mark Williams Company’s COHERENT operating system is a State-of-the-art microcomputer implementation of AT&T’s UNIX, without the state-of-the-art AT&T licensing fees. It is a completely rewritten version of the seventh edition of UNIX and includes some of its multi-user and multitasking abilities.

by Vaughn Vernon from the December 1987 issue of Computer Language OS/2, Microsoft’s latest addition to its operating system line, could well become the operating system of the next decade for Intel 80286/80386 microcomputers. Its multitasking capabilities, full-featured application programming interface (API), and extendability to future hardware almost guarantee its success. Microsoft sees microcomputing as a platform for office automation hardware and software: The office of the future (regardless of a company’s structure and line of business) is envisioned as a place of personal and group productivity.

by Harvey Newquist III from the July 1987 issue of Computer Language Artificial intelligence is perhaps the most overused—and abused—buzzword in the current age of computer science. The AI arena has been divided into several factions, all of which help distort its real benefits and potentials. On the one hand we have the popular business media, which has billed AI as everything from the greatest creation since sliced bread to a worthless endeavor perpetuated by computer hucksters.