Xref: utzoo misc.legal:4278 comp.sys.ibm.pc:13485 comp.sys.apple:4768
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bu-cs!madd
From: madd@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Jim Frost)
Newsgroups: misc.legal,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Apple Challenges HP New Wave, MS-Windows, Potentially OS/2 PM
Message-ID: <20794@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: 21 Mar 88 22:11:58 GMT
References: <5480@well.UUCP> <5492@well.UUCP> <1457@ur-tut.UUCP>
Reply-To: madd@bu-it.bu.edu (Jim Frost)
Followup-To: misc.legal
Organization: Boston University Distributed Systems Group
Lines: 21

In article <1457@ur-tut.UUCP> aptr@tut.cc.rochester.edu.UUCP (The Wumpus) writes:
>Apple is either getting cockey or just plain stupid.  [...]
>After all, the
>technology they are talking about was developed by Xerox in the
>seventies.  (I actually had a chance to play with one of the Xerox
>systems in 1982 when they wer about to be replaced.)

I have two comments to this.  First, I was of the opinion that Apple
purchased the rights to the interface from Xerox.  (Can anyone confirm
or deny this?)  Second, I have played with the Xerox interface (unless
I'm completely mistaken, our Lisp Machines use it) and it's not very
close to the Apple interface.  Apple has done enough additional work
to almost completely differentiate their interface from Xerox's.

>Any one want to see Xerox sue the pants off of Apple?

Nope.  Not only don't I think they'll do it, but if in fact Apple
purchased the rights to the interface from them, they cannot.

jim frost
madd@bu-it.bu.edu