Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!gatech!ncar!cruff
From: cruff@ncar.ucar.edu (Craig Ruff)
Newsgroups: gnu.gcc
Subject: Re: Protect Your Freedom--Boycott Apple
Message-ID: <3281@ncar.ucar.edu>
Date: 24 May 89 15:54:58 GMT
References: <8905240213.AA00603@sugar-bombs.ai.mit.edu>
Reply-To: cruff@handies.UCAR.EDU (Craig Ruff)
Distribution: gnu
Organization: Scientific Computing Division/NCAR, Boulder CO
Lines: 30

In article <8905240213.AA00603@sugar-bombs.ai.mit.edu> rms@AI.MIT.EDU writes:
>I urge everyone reading these words: if you love the GNU project or
>GNU software, don't cooperate with Apple's use of GCC, and don't use
>Macintoshes with or without GCC.  
>...
>Perhaps that sounds preposterous, but it is no exaggeration.  Berry's
>boss is suing people for developing upward-compatible replacement
>software--exactly what we do.  If they win, most of the free software
>that the GNU project will want to do in the future will become
>illegal.  

I've owned a Mac since almost day 1.  I've enjoyed using it, but recently,
it is coming up short.  Thus, I've considered replacing it with something
more capable.  Obviously, I've considered upgrading to something like
a Mac IIcx, which would allow me to continue to use the programs I've
accumulated as well as run some other OS, say Unix-like.

However, two things will cause me to look at other vendors than Apple.
The first is price.  The second is this attitude Apple has about suing
everyone they think might even be coming close in this "look and feel"
business.  Are they going to extend "look and feel" to upward compatible
software?  Are they going to sue every C compiler writer because all
C compilers accept the same input and thus have similar "look and feel"?
Probably not, but what about other compatible software?  What about full
replacement software that runs on their hardware?  Where is the line
drawn?
-- 
Craig Ruff      	NCAR			cruff@ncar.ucar.edu
(303) 497-1211  	P.O. Box 3000
			Boulder, CO  80307