[comp.os.minix] Selling Minix as an OS

dastrout@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu (root@next1) (04/25/91)

Let's take a trip into hypothetical-land for a second:

Here's Dave.  He's decided to go into business for himself, selling cheap
*nix boxes.  He builds a 68000 based product, called OldBox(tm).  He buys 
ST Minix, & hacks it to run on his box.  If he buys a copy of Minix from PH 
and sends it with each OldBox(tm) he sells, isn't PH pretty much out of 
luck?  It seems to me it shouldn't matter if how many copies of the Minix 
whatever exist, or even who makes them, as long as PH gets it's $169 for 
each whatever.

-- 
Dave Strout
/* I can remember when MS-DOS was a mere heap of junk instead of a vast 
wasteland -- Stolen & paraphrased */
dastrout@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu
dastrout%miavx1.bitnet@pucc.princeton.edu
root@next1.acs.muohio.edu
513-523-8245

rhyde@dimaggio.ucr.edu (randy hyde) (04/27/91)

>> Isn't PH pretty much out of luck (if you buy copies of MINIX and
resell them)

1) If Minix is like most other software, you license, not buy it.  The license
   may have something to say about what you do with it afterwards.  I
suspect it's
   quite reasonable.  Most licenses let you transfer them.

2) PH sells to resellers.  I can buy MINIX from Egghead, Austin Code Works, and
   many others.  I assume VARs could get the same deal.