UNIX is/was an Operating System

From: Ghazan Haider (ghazan.haider_at_gmail.com)
Date: 03/23/05 

Date: 22 Mar 2005 20:00:08 -0800

Which statement is more true:

Unix is an OS

or

Unix was an OS

??

Unix as defined by the opengroup exists in AIX and others, but theyre
operating systems, not an operating system. Secondly, in some circles
UNIX was the original OS from which others sprouted, and todays OSes
are descendents of UNIX, rather UNIX-derived. So whether UNIX is a
class of operating systems or a group of UNIX-descended operating
systems, the statement that UNIX is AN operating system would be
false, since its plural.

It certainly was an operating system, but then copies of the original
still exist, so if referring to the original only, UNIX is an
operating system.

I've a collection of workstations, and deal with HPUX, AIX, Solaris,
Unixware as well as the non-UNIX: Linux, NetBSD etc. So when i visited
the wikipedia article on UNIX, was surprised by "UNIX is an operating
system".

Just being pedantic on a boring day. Any thoughts?

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