Headscratchers / Halt and Catch Fire

• In "10Broad36", why did Joe decide that Mutiny should port their programs to the UNIX platform rather than the more prevalent IBM PC-compatible and Apple II platforms? Sure, Joe has his grievances with IBM in the past, but IBM PC-compatibles had the largest share in the home computer market, after the C64, especially after (relatively) inexpensive clones, such as the Tandy 1000, started coming out.
• Additionally, there is a very inconsistent level of treatment of how much of Mutiny runs on a client's computer versus their server. In fact many BBSes of the 1980s were purely "server-side" in the sense that the only thing needed on the "client" side was a computer and a modem - in short, the client was often platform-independent.^note For example, technically on an Apple II, PR#2 and IN#2 with a modem was sufficient enough to let a user issue "AT" style commands to dial out.
• Why hasn't Cameron heard of "ATM0"^note On most Hayes or Hayes compatible modems, it muted the speaker for her modem yet?
• Bosworth is potentially shortchanging Mutiny. In 1986, he tells a seller he wants a bank of "v.22" (1200 bps CCITT/ITU-T standard) modems, then complains he could "go to US Robotics and get high-speed transfer modems" for the same price. HST as a proprietary asymmetric 9600 bps protocol was widely sought after for several years until the V.32 standard was widespread and affordable enough to displace it (circa 1989/1990). Since USR offered BBS sysop discounts, Bosworth should just make the leap for a bank of HST modems and advertise the fact to customers.
• Why isn't Bosworth relating his rather expansive knowledge of business negotiating strategies? In the 20+ years he worked for Cardiff he has to have his fair share of experience in the power dynamics of tete-a-tete. Yet he's about as loud as a bump on a log as Cameron and Donna self-congratulatorily insist they don't need to be the ones to finalize the SwapMeet takeover. He's already seen what a disadvantage they have due to the sexism in the computing industry.
  • Probably for two reasons: He thinks the women he calls the "brain trust" are busy doing other things, and probably subconsciously, he knows he has to keep his role in the company and not talk himself out of a job. Plus, he can save the day, as he did with the SwapMeet acquisition.
• In "The Threshold", Gordon warns Donna about perusing the Mutiny IPO behind Cameron's back. However, when Cameron forces a vote on the IPO, why did Gordon vote in favor of the IPO?
  • As I recall, Gordon states clearly that he's voting with Donna because she's his wife, regardless of his personal beliefs.
    • This, and Gordon's interest in the conversation with Donna is mainly to impress on her that the "35%" vote figure she threw around was actually 25% her and 10% his company. His line with both was that there should be a compromise, and he tried to force one by using his share percentage as leverage with Donna and his probable necessity to vote with Donna as leverage with Cameron. He just didn't know how little Cameron trusted Donna by that point.