[geeks] Microsoft Surface...

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Mike Murphy wrote:
> On May 31, 2007, at 5:19 AM, Patrick wrote:
> 
>> The Gary Kildalll CPM/QDOS ripoff.
> 
>> ...
> 
>> Let me know when to stop.
> 
>> --Patrick
> 
> Well, leave out the CPM rip-off. MS did no worse that GK did when he ripped
> off PS/8, OS/8, RT/11, DOS/15 and for that matter even the PDP/8 4K DMS. PIP
> wasn't his thought. I'm not sure where DEC folks might have come up with the
> idea. Nevermind. Thanks to Wikipedia, I once again remember or think I do.

Um... you are talking apples an oranges.

Gary Killdall based CP/M on existing work, yes, but he still wrote the code
and most of the design was his or other CP/M guys who worked on it later.

That is *NOT* what Microsoft did.  They didn't base MS-DOS on anything, they
just did minor alterations to QDOS, and ripped the owner off.

You might even say it was the original creator's fault, but that doesn't
change the fact that MS-DOS and CP/M are fundamentally different in how they
were "created".

I think people here would mind Microsoft far less if they'd simply tell the
truth: we copied XYZ from ABC and marketed it, rather than constantly lying to
the world and claiming an act of creation or innovation.

I have no problem with people reselling technology.  My problem is when they
break it, steal it, and or claim to have created it.

-- 
shannon          | I want this Perl software checked for viruses.  Use Norton
                 | Antivirus.
                 |         -- Charlie Kirkpatrick (software manager, Infinet)