[comp.sys.handhelds] TetrAs

Rob_Prior@mindlink.UUCP (Rob Prior) (03/04/91)

What ever happened to TETRAS?  Remember, the _totally_ ML version of Tetris?
(for the 48sx, of course... What else ever gets discussed here... :)

Did it ever get released?

Rob
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 _______________________________________________________________
|Rob Prior - President, Still Animation Logo Design, Burnaby, BC|
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frechett@spot.Colorado.EDU (-=Runaway Daemon=-) (03/06/91)

In article <4983@mindlink.UUCP> Rob_Prior@mindlink.UUCP (Rob Prior) writes:
>What ever happened to TETRAS?  Remember, the _totally_ ML version of Tetris?
>(for the 48sx, of course... What else ever gets discussed here... :)
>
>Did it ever get released?
No it never did get released.  
Apparently HP called the person who was going to post it and said "you do and
you die" or something to that effect.  An explanation was never given, or at
least never posted, and as far as we know, it is still floating around out there
and it still can't be posted.  I can't figure out why HP wouldn't let someone
post something unless it was actually copyrighted, which I doubt.  
So very odd.

	ian

-=Runaway Daemon=-

pashdown@javelin.es.com (Pete Ashdown) (03/06/91)

frechett@spot.Colorado.EDU (-=Runaway Daemon=-) writes:

>>What ever happened to TETRAS?  Remember, the _totally_ ML version of Tetris?

>Apparently HP called the person who was going to post it and said "you do and
>you die" or something to that effect.

GIVE ME A BREAK.  Someone writes a piece of software that would only make
a machine look BETTER and the manufacturer THREATENS them?  I have a real
hard time believing this.  If >I< had been the author, I would have told HP
to promptly flake-off and posted full speed with a jolly "see you in court"
to boot.

>-=Runaway Daemon=-
-- 

  "This special edition of The Gulf War will continue after these messages."
                                                                    -ABC
Pete Ashdown  pashdown@javelin.sim.es.com ...uunet!javelin.sim.es.com!pashdown

ervin@pinbot.enet.dec.com (Joseph James Ervin) (03/06/91)

Pete Ashdown writes:

>GIVE ME A BREAK.  Someone writes a piece of software that would only make
>a machine look BETTER and the manufacturer THREATENS them?  I have a real
>hard time believing this.  If >I< had been the author, I would have told HP
>to promptly flake-off and posted full speed with a jolly "see you in court"
>to boot.

Well, I can think of one reason why HP may have responded in this way, 
assuming that they really did.  First, as an employee of a major computer
company, we have lots of games and things like TETRIS that float around the
network.  Periodically, we get messages from the corporate legal folks telling
us that such software violates "look and feel" laws, and regardless of whether
any money changes hands, the distribution of the software is a violation of
applicable laws.  So of course, we all delete TETRIS from our workstations
(but of course).

Anyway, let's pretend for a moment that HP may have plans, or may be 
thinking about making plans for releasing a GAME ROM card.  Let's also
assume that being a major corporation, HP would have obtained the rights
to put a version of TETRIS on this card, at some significant expense.  
Doesn't it then seem reasonable that they would be more highly motivated
to pursue legal recourse for violation of applicable copyright laws, given
that a (possibly) planned future product could be made obsolete by some 
hacker on the net?

Now, personally, I think the current version of TETRIS is an excellent 
program (I believe even Bill Wickes gave it this complement), and I hardly
think that a fully ML version would offer much improvment.  Also, I sort
of doubt that HP is going to offer such a GAME card, but I just wanted
to give you the perspective from a major computer company.

Obviously, my views are my own and not those of Digital Equipment 
Corporation.

>>>Joe Ervin

Rob_Prior@mindlink.UUCP (Rob Prior) (03/07/91)

] frechett@spot.Colorado.EDU writes:
] 
] In article <4983@mindlink.UUCP> Rob_Prior@mindlink.UUCP (Rob Prior) writes:
] >What ever happened to TETRAS?  Remember, the _totally_ ML version of Tetris?
] >(for the 48sx, of course... What else ever gets discussed here... :)
] >
] >Did it ever get released?
] No it never did get released.
] Apparently HP called the person who was going to post it and said "you do and
] you die" or something to that effect.  An explanation was never given, or at
] least never posted, and as far as we know, it is still floating around out
] there
] and it still can't be posted.  I can't figure out why HP wouldn't let someone
] post something unless it was actually copyrighted, which I doubt.
] So very odd.
] 
]         ian
] 
] -=Runaway Daemon=-

Does anyone have the details on this?  I would like to know what happened.  If
anyone at HP would like to explain, i'm sure there are plenty of people here
who would like to know the story.

Rob
--
 _______________________________________________________________
|Rob Prior - President, Still Animation Logo Design, Burnaby, BC|
|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|            Mail to: a634@mindlink.uucp                        |
|   ___  _        or: !uunet!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a634         |
|  /__  /_\    "You must find us.... a shrubbery!!!!!!"         |
|____/ /   \____________________________________________________|

akcs.ed@hpcvbbs.UUCP (Edwin S. Linderman) (04/12/91)

I'm sorry, but, I just had to say how happy I am to see another Python
fan!  Spam,Spam,Spam,Spam,Spam,Spam,Spam,Spam,Spam,Baked Beans,Spam, and
Spam.  Baked Beans are off!  Can I 'ave Spam instead of the Baked Beans? 
You Mean You  Wnat Spam...

akcs.falco@hpcvbbs.UUCP (Andrey Dolgachev) (04/13/91)

And now for something completely different...
Anyone try out that new Tetris which is supposedly much faster?

Harold Climer <HCLIMER%UTCVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> (04/13/91)

Here is another one. What about Dr. Who?