Editing Advanced Computing Environment (section)

=== Formation ===
The consortium was announced on the 9th of April 1991 by [[Compaq]], [[Microsoft]], [[MIPS Technologies|MIPS Computer Systems]], [[Digital Equipment Corporation]] (DEC), and the [[Santa Cruz Operation]] (SCO).<ref>{{cite news 
 | first = 
 | last = 
 | authorlink = John Markoff
 | author = John Markoff
 | title =  New Computer Alliance Forms
 | url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE2DA1438F93BA35757C0A967958260
 | work = The New York Times
 | date = 1991-04-08
 | accessdate = 2007-05-03
 | url-access = limited
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news 
 | title =  New breed of computers based on new standard UNIX/RISC software debuts: Compaq's Rod Canion says 'ACE' destined to be environment of choice for the 1990s.
 | publisher = Software Industry Report
 | url = http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/computer-software/157919-1.html
 | date = 1991-04-15
 | accessdate = 2010-02-20
}}{{Dead link|date=August 2021}}</ref> Although the consortium's definition of the [[Advanced RISC Computing]] (ARC) specification, indicating the details of an "open and scalable" hardware platform based on the [[MIPS architecture]],<ref name="arc">{{ cite book | url=ftp://ftp.linux-mips.org/pub/linux/mips/doc/ARC/riscspec.pdf | title=Advanced RISC Computing Specification Version 1.2 | publisher=MIPS Technology Inc. | date=1992 | access-date=27 November 2021 }}</ref>{{rp|pages=30|quote=ARC-compliant systems must implement the user mode instruction set defined by the MIPS I architecture. Since MIPS II is a superset of MIPS I, hardware platforms can be based on either the MIPS I or the MIPS II architecture.}} was a significant focus of the initiative, the "key force" behind it was said to be Compaq recognising that it needed to pursue a strategy with MIPS in order to compete in the emerging personal workstation market.<ref name="personalworkstation_199105">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_personal-workstation_1991-05_3_5/page/4/mode/1up | title=Editorial | magazine=Personal Workstation | date=May 1991 | access-date=27 November 2021 | last1=Peck | first1=J. Richard | pages=4 |volume=3 |issue=5 |url-access=registration}}</ref> A week prior to the ACE announcement, Compaq had entered into a relationship with Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) involving an investment in SGI, the payment of advance royalties, and a strategy to co-develop low-cost workstation systems targeting a price range of "about $8,000 or $7,000 for a really usable system".<ref name="digitalnews19910429_sgi">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_digital-news_1991-04-29_6_9/page/n99/mode/1up | title=SGI's McCracken: From leading edge to mass market | magazine=Digital News | date=29 April 1991 | access-date=27 November 2021 | last1=Heichler | first1=Elizabeth | pages=94 |volume=6 |issue=9}}</ref>

At the time it was widely believed that RISC-based systems would maintain a price/performance advantage over the ''ad hoc'' [[Wintel]] systems. However, it was also widely believed that [[Windows NT]] would quickly displace many other [[operating system]]s through the combined effects of a wide selection of software and the ease of building Wintel machines that supported it. ACE was formed to provide an alternative platform to Wintel, providing a viable alternative with the same advantages in terms of software support, and greater advantages in terms of performance.{{citation needed | date=November 2021 | reason=Sentiments about the rise of NT can probably be found in magazines like Byte, so maybe it would be a good source of citations.}}

The environment standardized on two hardware platforms: a personal computer platform based on the Intel 80386 and 80486 processors, and a workstation platform based on the ARC specification. To be supported by both hardware platforms were two [[operating system]]s: [[SCO UNIX]] with Open Desktop and what would become [[Windows NT]] (originally named OS/2 3.0).<ref name="computerworld19910415_abc">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/computerworld2515unse/page/6/mode/1up | title=ABCs of ACE | magazine=Computerworld | date=15 April 1991 | access-date=25 November 2021 | last1=Johnson | first1=Maryfran | pages=6 | volume=XXV |issue=15}}</ref> Other members of the consortium included [[Acer Inc.|Acer]], [[Control Data Corporation]], [[Kubota]], [[NEC|NEC Corporation]], [[JFE Group|NKK]], [[Olivetti]], [[Prime Computer]], [[Pyramid Technology]], [[Siemens]], [[Silicon Graphics]], [[Sony]], [[Sumitomo]], [[Tandem Computers]], [[Wang Laboratories]], and [[Zenith Data Systems]].<ref name="computerworld19910415_lineup">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/computerworld2515unse/page/7/mode/1up | title=Outsiders don't fear ACE | magazine=Computerworld | date=15 April 1991 | access-date=25 November 2021 | last1=Savage | first1=J. A. | pages=7 | volume=XXV | issue=15 }}</ref> Besides these large companies, several [[startup company|startup companies]] built ACE-compliant systems as well.<ref name="opensystemstoday19931122_desktops">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_open-systems-today_1993-11-22_138/page/n67/mode/1up | title=NT Plus RISC Equals A New Breed Of Desktops | magazine=Open Systems Today | date=22 November 1993 | access-date=10 June 2022 | last1=Krill | first1=Paul | pages=44 }}</ref>

Each of the companies involved had their own reasons for joining the ACE effort. MIPS wanted to reverse the fragmentation seen with existing MIPS-based systems that had limited wider adoption of the architecture. Various semiconductor companies, particularly "giants" such as Toshiba and NEC, were perceived as embracing the initiative to establish themselves and to take market share from Intel.<ref name="unixreview199209_ace">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_unix-review_1992-09_10_9/page/n31/mode/2up | title=Who's Flying ACE? | magazine=UNIX Review | last1=Mangione | first1=Paul A. | date=September 1992 | access-date=10 October 2022 | pages=28–30, 32 }}</ref> DEC used the initiative as an attempt to take market share away from the [[workstation]] leader, [[Sun Microsystems]], to respond to gains by Hewlett-Packard and IBM,<ref name="computerworld19910722_dec">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/computerworld2529unse/page/29/mode/1up | title=The ACE gospel according to DEC | magazine=Computerworld | date=22 July 1991 | access-date=27 November 2021 | last1=Johnson | first1=Maryfran | pages=29 |volume=XXV |issue=29}}</ref> and to proliferate its own technologies. Compaq, Microsoft and SCO were perceived to be using it as a defensive strategy to prevent "Sun taking over the desktop and replacing Intel-architecture PCs with RISC, Unix SparcStations" with the consequent loss of opportunities for those companies.<ref name="digitalnews19910429_ace">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_digital-news_1991-04-29_6_9/page/n42/mode/1up | title=ACE plan: So what's a buyer to do? | magazine=Digital News | date=29 April 1991 | access-date=27 November 2021 | last1=Heichler | first1=Elizabeth | pages=39–40 |volume=6 |issue=9}}</ref> By joining the initiative, SCO was able to broaden its portfolio to RISC platforms alongside its existing Intel platform products, and Microsoft needed vendor support for its "Portable OS/2", later Windows NT, strategy.<ref name="digitalnews19910429_standards">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_digital-news_1991-04-29_6_9/page/n98/mode/1up | title=When are standards standard? | magazine=Digital News | date=29 April 1991 | access-date=27 November 2021 | last1=Gantz | first1=John | pages=93, 49 |volume=6 |issue=9}}</ref>