vantreeck@logic.DEC (10/03/85)
>Newsgroups: net.micro.atari,net.micro.mac >Path: decwrl!nsc!chuqui >Subject: DRI agrees to change GEM >Posted: 1 Oct 85 19:43:44 GMT >Organization: Ninja Ewok Training Grounds >Xref: nsc net.micro.atari:1238 net.micro.mac:2900 >There is an article in the 10/1 issue of the San Jose Mecury News with the >announcement that DRI has agreed to (effective 11/15) stop supporting the >current version of GEM and to ship a modified version to avoid charges of >copyright violations of Apple's software. Apple has claimed that GEM copied >"The look and feel" or its Macintosh software and violated Apple's >copyright. GEM uses, among other things, windowns, drop-down menus, and >icons that substantially resemble the Mac. >-- >:From under the bar at Callahan's: Chuq Von Rospach >nsc!chuqui@decwrl.ARPA {decwrl,hplabs,ihnp4,pyramid}!nsc!chuqui Apparently, Apple is still unable to read the handwriting on the wall. There wouldn't be a GEM product if there wasn't a strong market demand for a "standard" window/iconic interface. The single largest factor working against Apple's attempt to break into the Fortune 1000 market, is that the Macintosh operating system and it's human interface are not an "industry standard". If Apple, early on, had offered to license its interface and operating system to other micro vendors, there would be two industry standards today -- PC DOS and Mac DOS. Instead there's only PC DOS and a bunch of minor brand X proprietary operating systems. These minor operating systems will compete against each other for market share in the nonindustry standard market. Having a bunch Mac-like interfaces and operating systems on the market is the next best thing to having a Mac DOS standard. Most large companies prefer to buy the "original", even if it costs more and isn't state of the art (look at IBM's PC sales as an example). Apple's censorship of DRI's GEM, is akin to someone shooting themselves in the foot -- unless Apple is planning on announcing the willingness to license it's interface to other vendors. -George