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From: tedi@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Edward M. Ives)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.misc
Subject: The Lawsuit, Standardization, and Whiny DOS Users...
Message-ID: <8685@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 15 Apr 88 21:15:25 GMT
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 49


 Ok, at the request of a beleaguered netter, I'm leaping into the fray:

  The one thing I CAN'T stand is people saying that Standardization will be
hindered if Apple wins, and therefore THAT is why Apple should lose.

  Although the jury is obviously still out, Apple either has a valid claim or
does not.

  For the purpose of argument, let's ASSUME it DOES have a valid claim (giving
Apple the benefit of the doubt).  (Note : I have no idea if Apple does have
a case - that's for the courts to decide.

  Proceeding from this assumption, then:
  Taking the view that, "Well it's better for corporations that are
hot to start buying PS/2's if Apple loses, therefore Apple should lose" would be
eqvivalent to saying that the government (or society) can engage in an
unauthorized taking without just compensation (if Apple's technology is indeed
their "property").  This is kind of against the tenets of the Constitution, and
if Apple DOES have a valid claim, this would be akin to saying, "Well, if
everyone in the world had a PC they'd be better off, so the government should
 force Apple to give Macintoshes away for free :-)

  Mac users took a lot of heat from the corporate IBM PC user types when the Mac
first came out, but now that it has become successful, the PC types are
basically whining "hey, that's a pretty good idea, can we play too?".
  But IF the courts decide  it is indeed Apple's ball and Apple doesn't want to
 let you play, you can't just beat it up and take the ball away - this
 is America...

                                    - Ted Ives
                                    ted.ives@dartmouth.edu

P.S. Ever notice any similarities? :

Apple II - 8-bit machine, open architecture, slots, keyboard, video, drive, 1979
IBM PC   - 8-bit machine, open architecture, slots, keyboard, video, drive, 1982
Macintosh - 32-bit, Mouse, Graphical User Interface, 3 1/2 inch disks,circa 1984
IBM PS/2's
with OS/2 - 32-bit, Mouse, Graphical User Interface, 3 1/2 inch disks,circa 1988

Does it seem entirely fair that each time Apple pioneers new ground, it has to
go through hell marketing the stuff, and then IBM just waltzes in and reaps
the profits?................

                                          - ted

"No one ever got fired for buying IBM...but no one who ever bought a Macintosh
 lived a life of quiet desparation, either...."