The network stack was totally rewritten and optimized, in kernel mode, about halfway through the BeOS lifetime.
The kernel did a better job at heavy threading and SMP than Linux or NT or NextStep at the time.
The interrupt model and thus latencies led to much better soft real time performance than the other OSes at the time.
I think it was more than half baked, but Linux took over the enthusiast market (with zero dollar cost) and Microsoft asserted their OEM monopoly (as determined in court, way too late to matter) and it wasn't to be.
The kernel did a better job at heavy threading and SMP than Linux or NT or NextStep at the time.
The interrupt model and thus latencies led to much better soft real time performance than the other OSes at the time.
I think it was more than half baked, but Linux took over the enthusiast market (with zero dollar cost) and Microsoft asserted their OEM monopoly (as determined in court, way too late to matter) and it wasn't to be.