From: rhawkins@iastate.edu (Rick Hawkins)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,alt.destroy.microsoft
Subject: Re: Caldera buys DRDOS & sues Microsoft
Date: 25 Jul 1996 17:22:38 GMT
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa USA
In article Dv2CxC.A97@kroete2.freinet.de,
Erik Corry (ehcorry@inet.uni-c.dk)
wrote:
>Caldera has bought DRDOS from Novell and is suing Microsoft
for
>anti-trust practices. The demand in the lawsuit that
really
>made me smile was:
>
> "Requiring Microsoft, for a period of ten years, to disclose
to
> Caldera all APIs' programming instructions for any
operating
> system it produces, as well as any modifications,
enhancements,
> updates, or new versions of such operating systems at the
time
> that such products are released for beta testing."
>
>I have no idea whether Caldera/Noorda have any chance at all
of
>winning, but it would certainly be nice if they did.
Perhaps
>we'll also be seeing DRDOS as part of Caldera's Linux (for
the
>DOS emulator).
Speaking as an anti-trust attorney, I was stunned at DRI's passivity over this issue in the first place. I still don't quite understand why they were mollified with the consent decree by the DoJ.
Without getting into the truth/falsity, the allegations from DRI (and others) were:
1) Windows had hooks that looked to see if DR-DOS or MS-DOS was running,
and hung/crashed deliberately for DR-DOS (attempt to monopolize, use of
monopoly power, unfair trade practices, and a couple of
torts).
2) Microsoft provided more information to it's own applications
developers, and provided it sooner (same set, hold the torts).
3) The doozy: having established a near monopoly, microsoft offered new
terms to OEM's, to the effect that it was cheaper to pay microsoft a
royalty for Windows on every machine sold, whether or not it used
Windows, than to pay for just dos for the actual installations used.
The effect was to change the price difference between MS-DOS & DR-DOS
from the price difference, to the entire price of DR-DOS, plus Windows
(attempt to monopolize, use of monopoly power, & leveraging the DOS
monopoly into a Windows monopoly).
HMM, with this heating up, I guess I should finish that anti-trust paper for publication . . .
--
R E HAWKINS
rhawkins@iastate.edu
These opinions will not be those of ISU until they pay my retainer.
From: vizzie@airmail.net (Larry Daffner)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,alt.destroy.microsoft
Subject: Re: Caldera buys DRDOS & sues Microsoft
Date: 28 Jul 1996 20:14:09 GMT
Organization: customer of Internet America
petrich@netcom.com (Loren Petrich) writes:
>In article Dv2CxC.A97@kroete2.freinet.de,
>Erik Corry (ehcorry@inet.uni-c.dk) wrote:
>>Caldera has bought DRDOS from Novell and is suing
Microsoft for
>>anti-trust practices. The demand in the lawsuit that
really
>>made me smile was:
>> "Requiring Microsoft, for a period of ten years, to
disclose to
>> Caldera all APIs' programming instructions for any
operating
>> system it produces, as well as any modifications,
enhancements,
>> updates, or new versions of such operating systems at
the time
>> that such products are released for beta testing."
> That's an awfully tall order :-)
> I wonder if it will include the undocumented stuff that M$
>allegedly relies on to get a jump on its competition.
I rather believe that's the point - to get M$ to release the undocumented APIs in Windows so that WABI and the like can properly emulate Windows, and work to the point where they become a valid replacement for Windows, so that using Linux and a Windows emulator, one could run any Windows app one chooses.
>>I have no idea whether Caldera/Noorda have any chance at all of
>>winning, but it would certainly be nice if they did. Perhaps
>>we'll also be seeing DRDOS as part of Caldera's Linux (for the
>>DOS emulator).
> Ray Noorda certainly has a lot of chutzpah :-)
I'll bet Ray also has a grudge. Remember, Ray was with Novell at the time when M$ was torpedoing DR DOS. I'll bet in hindsight, he's wishing he picked this fight earlier :)
-Larry
--
Larry Daffner | Linux: Unleash the workstation in your PC!
vizzie@airmail.net / http://web2.airmail.net/vizzie/
Clarke's Third Law:
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
From: Rick Forrister (rickf@glacier.jpl.nasa.gov)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: CALDERA BUYS DR. DOS, SUES MICROSOFT
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 07:34:55 -0700
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Pasadena CA
Lines: 20
Todd Graham Lewis wrote:
> Does anyone want to speculate as to what Caldera has up
their sleeve?
>
> __
> Todd Graham Lewis Linux! Core Engineering
> Mindspring Enterprises tlewis@mindspring.com (800) 719 4664, x2804
> According to CNet, the most popular National ISP
> http://www.cnet.com/Content/Reviews/Compare/ISP/highest.html
Best guesses on the caldera mailing list so far are that Caldera's
after the Windows API information. This would make WABI a much
stronger product, with no missing "hidden" API calls. Not that
"Daddy Microbucks" would have any hidden API calls 8^).
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rick Forrister | rickf@glacier.jpl.nasa.gov
| Win 95: Where do you want to go today?
| Linux: What do you want tomorrow?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups:
comp.os.msdos.misc,comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy
From: adt@netcom.com (Anthony D. Tribelli)
Subject: Re: Caldera Acquires DR DOS - Sues Microsoft for Antitrust Practices
Followup-To:
comp.os.msdos.misc,comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 1996 18:33:37 GMT
Otto Joh Hammersmith (ohammers@students.uiuc.edu) wrote:
: After all, DOS is a moot point now. MS doesn't sell it... well, they
: -do- but its call Win95 and it's disguised enough.
Yes, DOS is history but read what Caldera wants. Ending per CPU licensing for DOS, Win95 , and WinNT. Disclose of APIs. These things are relevant, unlike DOS.
Tony
--
------------------
Tony Tribelli
adtribelli@acm.org