2024-02-03 07:42:09
Hobbes OS/2 is one of the oldest software archives on the Internet, operated by the Department of Information and Communication Technologies at New Mexico State University (NMSU), but in a move that marks the end of an era, NMSU announced that on April 15, 2024 the software, which has been operating for more than three decades, will be permanently discontinued. It was once a competitor to Microsoft Windows
Hobbes, like many archives, started out as an FTP site – or File Transfer Protocol. The earliest record found of the Hobbes archive dates back to 1992, which includes a Walnut Creek CD-ROM collection. The OS/2 operating system found on Hobbes started out as a joint venture between IBM and Microsoft, designed to replace IBM PC DOS. OS/2 played a key role in performing tasks that required a high degree of stability, such as operating ATMs or the New York subway system. After the success of Windows 3.0, the partnership between Microsoft and IBM broke up, and nowadays OS/2 is maintained by third-party manufacturers, as its competitors, Linux and Windows, pushed it into the background.
Hobbes is a digital time capsule
In a statement to The Register, an NMSU representative spoke about how difficult the decision was to make the decision to no longer host these files at hobbes.nmsu.edu. NMSU had to assess their priorities before making this decision, however, these files are safe and secure elsewhere.
Jason Scott of the Internet Archive commented on the decision saying that there was nothing to worry about, Hobbes was taken care of. Hobbes is a priceless digital time capsule that should always be preserved, as the loss of one of OS/2’s primary archives is a huge blow. The archive contains thousands of OS/2 games, applications, utilities, software development tools, and documentation dating back to the launch of OS/2 in 1987, and running OS/2 wallpapers from the 1990s has a certain charm. The archive was last updated on March 12, 1999.
In The Register, one commenter, “TrevorH”, mentioned that this is not the first time that Hobbes has been shut down, but many complaints have always followed such decisions, and in the end, students and faculty worked together to save the archive. From this, they can conclude that even now there will be someone who applies for the further maintenance of the archive.
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