Isn't this a little rediculous?

[PCEngWork]

There is an enforcement agency for business use of Software
in the USA. (Business Software Alliance). They can and do
audit businesses for licensing and deployment of software.
Penalties for being in violation are pretty steep.

 

[cquirke (MVP Win9x)]

On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 21:54:29 -0500, "Star Fleet Admiral Q"

While you are venting, I just have a thought for you to consider - did MS
force you to buy XP or a PC with XP installed? If so, you have a legitimate
complaint, otherwise you could have installed in OS of your choice

Not really, if your choice is an older MS OS:
- sorry, we no longer sell or support that
- nonetheless, you are not allowed to use someone else's

--------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - -

Dreams are stack dumps of the soul

 

[Steve Nielsen]

Why would you think that? You say no change in price, but
that means the price has not gone up too. And that means
that there has been an effect.

Seems to me that you just want to complain because Bill
Gates has more money than you and I do. It seems to me that
he earned it honestly, without using force.

This has been debated for years. Some have made a pretty good looing
case for MS having ripped-off Digital Research for the original version
of DOS. But then others have made a case for DR ripping-off parts of DOS
from elsewhere. Perhaps no one has made money completely honestly in
this whole PC OS game?

Steve

 

[CS]

This has been debated for years. Some have made a pretty good looing
case for MS having ripped-off Digital Research for the original version
of DOS. But then others have made a case for DR ripping-off parts of DOS
from elsewhere. Perhaps no one has made money completely honestly in
this whole PC OS game?

Steve

The real story:

The original DOS was purchased from Seattle Computing by Bill
Gates and company. It was a steal at the time. Digital Research was
originally one of several companies asked by IBM to produce a version
of DOS specifically for the IBM PC. Digital Research for some reason
refused and the rest is history. MS got the contract to produce the
operating system for IBM and of course used the version of DOS they
purchased from Seattle Computing. As much as I dislike MS and their
practices, one has to admit that Gates struck gold from that deal. He
took advantage of an opportunity.....

 

[RJK]

Well, wherever you got that from you're partially wrong. A very long time
ago, When I bought an Amstrad 1512 from Curry's (no hd - 2x5 1/4" floppy
drives, CGA display etc.) It came with 2 OS's Msdos AND DRDos, you
could choose which one you wanted to use.

regards, Richard

 

[Shane]

By then Digital Research had woken up. And PC-DOS (by MS for IBM) came
before MS-DOS.


Shane

 

[RJK]

You're right. A few years ago, on UK t.v. there was a doucmentary type
program covering the Bill Gates thing and his relationship with IBM, and how
IBM were so short sighted over the "home PC," selling him the micro os etc.
I wonder if the people at IBM, who thought the whole world revolved around
mainframes, or at least didn't recognize the potential for the micro, and
made bad decisions in that area, were fired, or given huge bonuses !!!

regards, Richard

 

[Shane]

I wonder if the people at IBM, who thought the whole world revolved around

mainframes, or at least didn't recognize the potential for the micro, and
made bad decisions in that area, were fired, or given huge bonuses !!!

The former would certainly be a novelty!


Shane