Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!ncar!tank!mimsy!tove.umd.edu!steveg
From: steveg@tove.umd.edu (Steve Green)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aux
Subject: Re: GNU & A/UX
Message-ID: <17694@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: 23 May 89 04:36:48 GMT
References: <9365@polya.Stanford.EDU>
Sender: nobody@mimsy.UUCP
Reply-To: steveg@tove.umd.edu (Steve Green)
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science,
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	Well, the it seems to me that Apple is playing "the" game with the
lawsuit.  It does not seem to me that Apple can, or expect to, win the lawsuit 
but that the lawsuit is a message to potential clone developers.   I dont think
that Apple should have the rights to the look and feel, but should have the
rights to the Macintosh system.  Competetors should be allowed to develop
similiar systems that do not run the Mac OS.  Lets keep the competition in the
computer industry in order to drive the development of innovative products.
I dont belive that Apple is trying to grab a monopoly on the look and feel in
order to hold computer users as hostages but that Apple is trying to protect its
investment on the mac and continue in the R&D effort. Clones have gotten to be
such a problem in the MS-DOS market, that it looks as if this is the major cause
for the drop in sales of IBM's.  This alone looks as if it will spell the 
eventual doom for the IBM PC. :-)  How low will IBM prices gow before they give
it up and go strictly to the mini and up market.  I think that Apple is aware
of this and does not want history to repeat itself.  Back to the issue....
I believe that GNU's position is foolish because nothing has happened yet.  I
feel that if Apple turns into the monarchy that the GNU people describe, that
THEN is the time for action.  In the mean time, let Apple continue to produce
the best personal computer in computer history.  The Macs' success, it seems,
is largely based on Apples' innovation.  Putting a choke on Apple will only hurt
the end user.

Please note that these are my personal opinions and observations.  I fully 
welcome intelligent replies and corrections to my information.  Also, please do
not quote me out of context.

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