WE HAVE BEGUN working on some older Comes vs Microsoft exhibits and today we properly document Exhibit PX00891 (1991) [PDF]. It starts with Brad Silverberg, one of Microsoft's crudest people. At Microsoft, they were speaking about Digital Research, which they committed abuses against (see our DRI reference page). Here is part of the correspondence (the full text is at the bottom of this post):
Customer: Digital Research, Inc. UK Address: 70 Garden Court Monteray, CA
Contact: John Constant Telephone: 44(0) 488 684587 FAX: 44 (0) 488 683135
Digital Research would like to become a beta site. They would like to enable their operating system to support Windows 3.10. Specifically they need to modify the LoadHi VxD (now part of VMM) allowing their memory manager to function correctly.
NOTE: John Constant would like to be contacted by telephone as soon as possible.
> From johnen Fri Aug 2 15:14:52 1991 To: bradsi stevetho winbeta Subject: RE: BETA REQ: Digital Research, Inc. Date: Fri Aug 02 15:11:40 PDT 1991
Um, I don't think so.
From bradsi Fri Aug 02 15:20:58 1991 To: johnen kalak stevetho winbeta Subject: RE: BETA REQ: Digital Research, Inc. Date: Fri, 02 Aug 91 15:20:25 PDT
ha ha ha ha ha...
kala, please make sure this request doesn't get filled.
PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT 891 Comes v. Microsoft
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############################### 98 From bradsi Fri Aug 02 15:08:47 1991 To: davidcol davidw dennisad karlst philba richab richt Subject: Re: Press tour Date: Fri, 02 Aug 91 15:08:41 PDT
it sure makes sense to do both the technical and "marketing" parts together. the "marketing" parts are product oriented, not hype. people will want to know the api's in 3.1, issues like doc and printer portability, postscript printer interaction, etc. I like the idea of doing it after beta 2.
############################### 99 From bradsi Fri Aug 02 15:12:16 1991 To: davidcol Subject: print assoc Date: Fri, 02 Aug 91 15:12:15 PDT
which, if any, print associations will be in beta 2???
############################### 100 From bradsi Fri Aug 02 15:20:58 1991 To: johnen kalak stevetho winbeta Subject: RE: BETA REQ: Digital Research, Inc. Date: Fri, 02 Aug 91 15:20:25 PDT
ha ha ha ha ha...
kala, please make sure this request doesn't get filled.
> From johnen Fri Aug 2 15:14:52 1991 To: bradsi stevetho winbeta Subject: RE: BETA REQ: Digital Research, Inc. Date: Fri Aug 02 15:11:40 PDT 1991
Um, I don't think so.
> From stevetho Fri Aug 2 14:49:56 1991 To: winbeta Subject: BETA REQ: Digital Research, Inc.
Date: Fri Aug 02 14:48:26 PDT
Customer: Digital Research, Inc. UK Address: 70 Garden Court Monteray, CA
Contact: John Constant Telephone: 44(0) 488 684587 FAX: 44 (0) 488 683135
Digital Research would like to become a beta site. They would like to enable their operating system to support Windows 3.10. Specifically they need to modify the LoadHi VxD (now part of VMM) allowing their memory manager to function correctly.
NOTE: John Constant would like to be contacted by telephone as soon as possible.
############################### 101 From: bradsi Fri Aug 02 15:53:17 1991 To: karkst philba Subject: win32 code review Date: Fri, 02 Aug 91 15:53:14 PDT
thomasf has been going through the win386 code and has noticed some places where he doesn't think they've set up critical sections right or worked through some of the cases; and suggests that someone like zibbo do a good code review. sounds like a good idea to me.
############################### 102 From: bradsi Fri Aug 02 16:14:12 1991 To: tomle Subject: next week Date: Fri, 02 Aug 91 16:14:07 PDT
I want to close on a dos dev lead. My first choice is paulc. Honestly, I'm a bit uneasy about nigelt.
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Comments
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2009-07-16 14:23:18
Yggdrasil
2009-07-17 04:09:47
In my opinion, this irrational thinking is an unwanted byproduct of the FOSS community itself. Because they give away their work for free, so should you. So should all of us. You are allowed to make a profit, but ONLY if you are willing to share your business methods, tactics, and designs with anyone who asks for them. You can complete, but you MUST cooperate. You can create, but you MUST share!
After I came to this understanding is when I realized why FOSS is not the future of software. Many who devote themselves to FOSS soon believe that all others must share in their beliefs and act according to the principles they believe in. These principles go against a system, that while not perfect, simply works where others have failed. Rather than work against Capitalism, those in the FOSS community should learn to do their own thing. They should focus on being self sufficient and not interfere with those who prefer to use commercial software for whatever reason they choose.
I work. I get paid. I spend my money. I like paying for software that I find useful and I enjoy using free software that I also find useful. Sometimes the free alternative is best, and sometimes it isn't. Sometimes you get what you pay for, sometimes you don't. I can enjoy the best of both worlds, but not Roy. It's not enough that Roy only uses free software, but he wants you to use it too. Not only that, but he has to attack the companies that provide "me" with software that "I" enjoy. Now you can start to understand why Roy's enemies aren't really defending Microsoft, in so much as they are trying to protect their own freedom of choice.