FAT file system now licensed by MS ?

On Thu, 4 Dec 2003, Cini, Richard wrote: Microsoft. The "Stand Alone Disk BASIC" was used in Z80 machines. It used a seek-center DIR (track 17 or 20 of a 35 or 40 track disk, with a single sector "Granule Allocation Table", usually with 1/2 track for each allocation unit (8 bit entries)) THEN SCP wrote an 8086 system patterned after CP/M, but with a DIR structure BASED on that idea, but with a track 0 DIR, more sectors for the "FAT", and smaller allocation units (12 bit entries). (QDOS, later 86-DOS) I don't know what became of the 8086 Stand-Alone BASIC. THEN Microsoft bought rights to that OS for "Project Commodore" (their IBM contract). (PC-DOS, MS-DOS) LATER, DRI added FAT support to some of their products, and Apple based the original Mac DIR structure directly on FAT (MAJOR shortage of system programmers at the time??) I think so BTW, Cringely's version is COMPLETELY bogus. The Kildall eulogy is "accurate", but way too biased (delivery of some manuals to Oakland required Kildall stand up IBM, and couldn't be delegated?) -- Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com