Re: OS For IIGS

[shack@io.frii.com (Randy Shackelford)]

In article <63r045$m5u$1@darla.visi.com>, Nathan Mates <nathan@visi.com> wrote:

>>I think Apple has had the right idea about distributing its operating
>>systems since day one.
>
>   Insert "Apple II" between 'its' and operating systems'. Starting
>with System 7, Apple's been selling updates to older users what
>they're providing with new machines, which isn't any different from
>MS's model. 

Nope, all versions through 7.0.1 are freely distributable. And only 7.1, 7.5,
7.6, and 8.0 were purchased upgrades. 7.5.1, 7.5.3, 7.5.5, 7.6.1, and the
upcoming 8.1 are free for the downloading or come on CDs from Apple and mags
like Macworld. Apple even threw in a fully installable 7.5.3 on their last
MacAdvocate CD, which is free for the asking. It is said that the 8.1 update
will be a 25 mb download, a lot of stuff to give away. Including a new file 
system to get rid of the 65536 variable size blocks on disk volumes.

Contrast Apple's regular, not to mention freely available, updates to its
system software with what MS does. When was the last time a Win95 update came
out? I hear tell they slip stealth updates to people who sell new boxes and
include copies, but where does a fellow get updates for an existing system?
--
Randy Shackelford                                 
shack@frii.com