Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!LSUVM.BITNET!$CSD211 From: $CSD211@LSUVM.BITNET (Mark Orr) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Some observations Message-ID: <9011271241.AA27895@apple.com> Date: 26 Nov 90 15:43:14 GMT References: Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 44 |>On Mon, 29 Oct 90 20:33:34 GMT Desdinova said: |>> They did WHAT? Gave up? They COULDN'T have been trying very hard. |>>A //gs clone would be bloody simple to make, if they improved the design |>>while they were at it. I imagine it's more like, "we don't want to spend |>>the resources when we can make 386 boxes". |> |>A couple of my friends that were at Applefest (I forgot which one) said they |>saw a WORKING LaserGS prototype. I have no idea why they aren't marketing it |>though. |> | Ever heard of copyright and/or patent laws? I don't even think |BUILDING a clone was legal, let alone marketing it! (Desigining would be legal |I think) | | |-- |zane@ddsw1.MCS.COM I haven't heard anything about the LaserGS clone. Nevertheless, the only thing that should be legally questionable is the ROMs; since any decent clone maker would know that in cloning a GS (or a Mac) you would lose some hardware. (i.e. ADB, Smartport, the particular implementation of the serial ports, most of the internal gate arrays, etc.). But losing hardware dosen't preclude building a clone...If you wanted to build an enhanced GS clone, you would get all the documentation you could, get a team together and take apart the GS ROMs; figure out what apple did and come up with an alternative means to do it. Alternatively (expect to lose some compatibility), you could look at the software for the GS and figure out a way to make it work on your clone; look at what in the system it calls, what it requires of the system, and superimpose that over the well cloned apple //e ROMs. Building a GS clone is tricky, but by no means illegal,immoral,irrational, unsanitary, etc. If you build your clone in a foreign country, Apple can't touch you...Asia is full of illegal clones (anyone ever heard of the Happy Joiner?). How much GS compatibility are we willing to give up? ------------------------------ ! Mark Orr ! ! $CSD211@LSUVM.SNCC.LSU.EDU ! ! @LSUVM.BITNET ! ------------------------------