11 Oct
2011
11 Oct
'11
7:58 p.m.
On Tue, 11 Oct 2011, Eric Smith wrote:
The question is whether QDOS/86-DOS/MS-DOS/IBM-DOS
actually contained
any code from CP/M. It's one thing to develop a clone that supports
essentially the same APIs, and another to actually copy the code. I've
heard numerous people claim that the code was copied, but I haven't ever
seen hard evidence of that.
There does NOT appear to be any copied code, merely a copy of the API,
"look & feel", etc. Patterson at some poiint, explicitly stated that it
had originally been intended to be a placeholder while waiting for DR to
get CP/M-86 going, and therefore, was deliberately a copy.
Therefore, if it were to have been tried in 1981, Microsoft would have won.
However, if it were to have been tried a decade later, after the Lotus,
etc. suits, then Microsoft would have lost.
Q: When did "Intergalactic Digital Research" become "Digital Research,
Inc."? Was that before, or after, "Thinker Toys" and "Kentucky
Fried
Computer" became "Morrow Designs" and "Northstar"?
Gary's pals sometimes imply that IBM's visit was a SURPRISE! That is
seriously doubtful, and documented to be false. And, the report that the
people there thought that it was a drug raid, is very doubtful, but a
great story of the culture shock that was involved (IBM's suits V
shirtless, shoeless,braless bicycle riding hippies). He knew they were
coming, but CHOSE to fly up to Oakland to hang out with Godbout. (That ha
sometimes been misreported as "going sailing"). His apologists say that
it was important legitimate business, taking some documentation to a
client. There was nobody of lesser importance who could take a half a day
to deliver a box of binders? His actions, indisunirregardless of attempts
to spin them, provided a clear message to IBM of, "Wait in line with the
rest of the customers."
Q: Was that
A) the stupidest thing that anybody has ever done (costing $80B)
B) the bravest, gutsiest nose thumbing of all time
C) both
I'm going with B), but I've never had the courage to do that.