[cctalk] Re: MS-DOS (fwd)

Did not show up on the list, so I am forwarding another copy; sorry if there are duplicates On Mon, 29 Jul 2024, Murray McCullough via cctalk wrote: There are conflicting reports that list that price as $25,000, $50,000, or $75,000, although there is suppoirt for each for example: https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=99 "for $50,000 or $75,000, depending on how the cost is calculated." The price that IBM paid Microsoft is stated variously as $25,000, $50,000, to $430,000 Great detail, but a few items are arguable: https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-rise-of-dos-how-microsoft-got-the-ibm-pc-os-… "By most accounts, Nishi was the one most strongly in favor of Microsoft getting into the operating system world. Allen said in his autobiography Idea Man that Gates was less enthusiastic. Allen called Seattle Computer Products owner Rod Brock and licensed QDOS for $10,000 plus a royalty of $15,000 for every company that licensed the software." "In Big Blues: The Unmaking of IBM, Sams is quoted as saying Gates told him about QDOS and offered it to IBM. "The question was: Do you want to buy it or do you want me to buy it?" Sams said. Since IBM had already had decided to go with an open architecture, the company wanted Microsoft to purchase QDOS. Besides, Sams said, "If we'd bought the software, we'd have just screwed it up." "According to Allen, under the contract signed that November, IBM agreed to pay Microsoft a total of $430,000, including $45,000 for what would end up being called DOS, $310,000 for the various 16-bit languages, and $75,000 for "adaptions, testing and consultation." In contrast, the TV "Pirates of the Valley" made the false and absurd claim that bill Gates cold-called IBM to convince them to get an operating system! -- Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com