Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!milano!cadillac!pebbles!ned
From: ned@pebbles.cad.mcc.com (Ned Nowotny)
Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss
Subject: Re: Apple/uSoft Court's "Memorandum of Decision and Order"
Message-ID: <2022@cadillac.CAD.MCC.COM>
Date: 2 Aug 89 18:12:22 GMT
References: <1989Jul31.223834.10407@algor2.uu.net> <12391@altos86.Altos.COM>
Sender: news@cadillac.CAD.MCC.COM
Reply-To: ned%cad@MCC.COM (Ned Nowotny)
Organization: MCC CAD Program, Austin, TX
Lines: 36

In article <12391@altos86.Altos.COM> dtynan@altos86.Altos.COM (Dermot Tynan) writes:
>Anyway, on the Apple ][, did Microsoft do the BASIC interpreter, or was
>it done internally.

Yes, Microsoft did the BASIC interpreter for the Apple ][.  As you may also
know, they did the BASIC interpreter for the Macintosh as well.

Now, at one time, Apple was doing internal development of a BASIC interpreter
for the Macintosh with a number of attractive new features.  In fact, their
BASIC was a much more appropriate product for the Macintosh than was the
version done by Microsoft.  Microsoft's original offering was little different
from the version of BASIC available on the IBM-PC family of machines.  Apple's
MacBASIC was nearly ready to ship (beta release copies in commercial packaging
were being widely distributed to Macintosh developers) when the project was
cancelled.

Well, the rumor is that Microsoft threatened to not renew Apple's license for
the BASIC interpreter on their cash cow, the Apple ][ family, unless Apple
cancelled their MacBASIC project.   Because Apple was highly dependent on
the Apple ][+ for virtually their entire revenue stream at that time, they
complied.

Frankly, if it were not for the threat of "Look and Feel" copyrights to the
rest of the software industry, and for HPs essentially innocent involvement
in the suit, I would just as soon let both Apple and Microsoft sink into
their own legal tar pit.

If there is any single problem with intellectual property laws, it is the
power it gives larger companies to compete in the courthouse rather than
the open market to the detriment of all.


Ned Nowotny, MCC CAD Program, Box 200195, Austin, TX  78720  Ph: (512) 338-3715
ARPA: ned@mcc.com                   UUCP: ...!cs.utexas.edu!milano!cadillac!ned
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