"Microsoft's preference was the Tab key. IBM strongly opposed the decision. Chen didn't elaborate on IBM's preference, only that the Tab key wasn't the way Big Blue wanted to go."
"IBM pressed the escalation button, and the issue was sent upstairs, first to the manager of Microsoft's Tab decision-maker. The response went something along the lines of: 'The reason you are in Boca is to make these decisions so I don't have to be in Boca.'"
"The VP demanded confirmation from the equivalent-level manager at Microsoft that the company stood by the choice. This was approximately seven levels of management above the programmers."
IBM and Microsoft faced a conflict over the use of the Tab key during their OS/2 collaboration. Microsoft favored the Tab key for navigating dialog boxes, while IBM opposed this decision. The disagreement escalated through multiple layers of IBM's management, ultimately reaching a VP who strongly disagreed with Microsoft's choice. The situation exemplified the bureaucratic nature of IBM, as the issue required confirmation from high-level managers at both companies before resolution.
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