jxself.org

The Legacy of ITS

Sat, 7 Dec 2024

In the world of computing lore,
There once was an OS known as ITS,
The Incompatible Timesharing System to be precise,
A name that made users think twice.

It was a system that was hard to love,
With commands and syntax that felt above,
The reach of many users' minds,
A learning curve that felt unkind.

But for those who stuck it out,
ITS was a system without a doubt,
That offered power and control,
To those who sought to take the toll.

From Lisp machines to Multics too,
ITS was a system that knew what to do,
It was a pioneer in its day,
A computing powerhouse on display.

It was created in the sixties, a product of its time,
But by the nineties, it was clear it was past its prime.

It was a system that was clunky, outdated, and slow,
And as new technology emerged, it just couldn't grow.

But for some, it was a beloved relic of the past,
And they kept it alive, hoping it would last.

Though its hardware may have long been laid to rest,
The Incompatible Timesharing System still stands the test.

With emulated hardware, it continues to thrive,
Kept alive by those who keep its spirit alive.

A passion project for those in the know,
A tribute to the history of computing's ebb and flow.

ITS is more than just lines of old code,
It's a symbol of ingenuity, a milestone on the road.

Now the tapes live on in digital form, preserved with care,
A piece of computing history that enthusiasts still share.

So here's to ITS, a system that lives on,
Not just in memory, but in bits that are never truly gone.