tama@qip.UUCP (Tama McBride) (10/25/89)
Do you know if the company 'Custom Software Systems' is still in
business? We have some software of theirs (pc/vi) and I have some
questions for them. I've been able to trace them to the 508 or 617 area
code (Boston area?) but haven't been able to get a phone number that
works.
Please e-mail any responses, and many thanks!
--
Tama McBride (602)870-3330
Anasazi, Inc. ...{asuvax or mcdphx}!anasaz!tamapaine@rust.dec.com (Willy Paine) (10/26/89)
Sorry this company went out of business after author got trouble with AT&T on illegal copy of vi. MKS vi is excellent vi editor. Good Luck.. willy In article <1108@qip.UUCP> you write: >Do you know if the company 'Custom Software Systems' is still in >business? We have some software of theirs (pc/vi) and I have some >questions for them. I've been able to trace them to the 508 or 617 area >code (Boston area?) but haven't been able to get a phone number that >works. > >Please e-mail any responses, and many thanks! >-- >Tama McBride (602)870-3330 >Anasazi, Inc. ...{asuvax or mcdphx}!anasaz!tama
dougm@palomar.SanDiego.NCR.COM (Doug Marshall) (10/26/89)
In article <1108@qip.UUCP> tama@qip.UUCP (Tama McBride) writes: >Do you know if the company 'Custom Software Systems' is still in >business? We have some software of theirs (pc/vi) and I have some They were put out of business by ATT. Seems they were found to have used some (all?) of the source code to create the vi editor. The last known address that I have is printed on the cover of the pc/vi manual is: Custom Software Systems P. O. Box 678 Natick, MA 01760 (617) 653-2555 I don't think that they're in business any more. ---- Doug Marshall <Doug.Marshall@SanDiego.NCR.COM> +1 619 485 3494 <...!ncr-sd!palomar!dougm> "All of us is smarter than each of us!"
jeff@gistdev.UUCP (Jeff Johnson) (10/26/89)
Tama >In article <1108@qip.UUCP> tama@qip.UUCP (Tama McBride) writes: Tama >Do you know if the company 'Custom Software Systems' is still in Tama >business? We have some software of theirs (pc/vi) and I have some Doug >dougm@palomar.SanDiego.NCR.COM (Doug Marshall) writes: Doug >They were put out of business by ATT. Seems they were found to have used Doug >some (all?) of the source code to create the vi editor. The last known address Doug >that I have is printed on the cover of the pc/vi manual is: Actually, I believe AT&T sued them over another product, PC/TOOLS. PC/TOOLS was a group of basic UNIX utility programs like ls, cat, sed, etc... Apparently, they derived them from AT&T source and claimed in their manuals and ads that the programs had nothing to do with the AT&T source. AT&T didn't like that nor the fact that they didn't receive licensing or royalty fees. Doug >I don't think that they're in business any more. Yes, alas, they went bankrupt and promised not to sell their products anymore. Their PC/VI is the BEST PC version that I have used. The last MKS version I tried did not impress me. -- Jeff Johnson Global Information Systems Technology, Inc. 1800 Woodfield Drive Savoy, IL 61874 +1 217 352 1165 jeff@gistdev.UUCP -or- {uunet|uiucuxc}!gistdev!jeff "I said what I said, and my employer did not."
psrc@pegasus.ATT.COM (Paul S. R. Chisholm) (11/06/89)
In article <1108@qip.UUCP> tama@qip.UUCP (Tama McBride) writes: > >Do you know if the company 'Custom Software Systems' is still in > >business? In article <1959@ncr-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM>, dougm@palomar.SanDiego.NCR.COM (Doug Marshall) writes: > They were put out of business by AT&T. Seems they were found to have used > some (all?) of the source code to create the vi editor. Fairly close to the truth, but not quite. AT&T filed suit against CSS, charging that they used AT&T UNIX(R) system source code (without asking permission or paying royalties) in their PC/TOOLS and PC/SPELL products. PC/VI wasn't mentioned. CSS settled out of court, and shortly thereafter, ceased operations. Let me emphasize that this had nothing to do with "look and feel". AT&T spent a lot of money developing the UNIX operating system, and chose to treat it as a commercial property. The software itself, and the name, are owned by AT&T. The suit claimed that CSS had stolen the software, just as if they had run off a thousand copies of Lotus 1-2-3 on a disk duplicator. > I don't think that they're in business any more. That's what I heard, too. I have no idea if the settlement exhausted their finances, or if they decided that they couldn't do business if they (a) stopped selling PC/TOOLS and PC/SPELL, (b) re-wrote PC/TOOLS and PC/SPELL from scratch, or (c) paid AT&T for the AT&T source code their products depended on. > Doug Marshall <Doug.Marshall@SanDiego.NCR.COM> <...!ncr-sd!palomar!dougm> Paul S. R. Chisholm, AT&T Bell Laboratories att!pegasus!psrc, psrc@pegasus.att.com, AT&T Mail !psrchisholm UNIX(R) is a registered trademark of AT&T. Other than that, I'm not speaking for the company, I'm just speaking my mind.