SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (01/01/88)
David Robins <ptsfa!ski!dr@ames.arpa> writes - >I don't know why the above-mentioned cost seems so high. Operating >systems are an expensive, integral part of any computer system. In the >minicomputer world, operating systems can run into the few thousand >dollar range. You are correct of course, but Microsoft's price for DOS (to say nothing of the price for OS/2 <$395> or IBM's posted price for Extended OS/2 <$795>) is going to sell a LOT of Macintoshes (and IIgs's and probably Amigias -- maybe even <gasp> Atari ST's which are very popular in Europe, I understand). The last time I checked, minicomputers and mainframes did not sell in the millions and the competitive environment was somewhat different than in the microcomputer markets. Apple's decision to declare HyperCard "systems software" and bundle it (along with the Mac operating system) is a shrewd policy. By the time an individual or a corporation buys an PS/2 with 2 megs of memory and OS/2 (for which there isn't presently any notable applications software, but MS-DOS can't see beyond 512K making it IBM's DOS 3.3 in more ways than one) it becomes pretty clear that "Gee, I coulda had a Macintosh <and a V-8>!" Apple's policy on licensing DOS 3.3 and ProDOS (for next to nothing) is similarly far-sighted. Now if we could just get them to see the light entirely and bring forth the Mac+ before 1989! --------------------- ARPA: sewall%uconnvm.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu Murphy A. Sewall BITNET: SEWALL@UCONNVM School of Business Admin. UUCP: ...ihnp4!psuvax1!UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL University of Connecticut