Re: MS Obselete Policy

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Avi Drissman <adrissmn@gopher.science.wayne.edu> wrote:

> Matt Portune (mportune@telerama.lm.com) wrote:
> : I stumbled on something rather amusing on Microsoft's web site.  They
> : have a list of titles they are "declaring" obselete in November, and are
> : dropping support for.  Surprisingly enough, they actually listed a bunch of
> : ][-specific titles in there!  The exact page is
> 
> : http://www.microsoft.com/SupportNet/SuppObsolescence.htm
> 
> My question is why they claim the "Apple II Operating System" and the
> "Apple III Operating System" as theirs.
> 
> Applesoft?

Applesoft is definitely copyrighted by Microsoft (see the legend on the
IIgs ROM, for example).  I would hardly call this the "operating
system".  :-)

Applesoft is in the ROM on every Apple II, but it is not available on
the Apple III, unless you boot the Apple II emulation disk.  The Apple
III's native BASIC (Business BASIC) was written by Apple, and contains
no Microsoft code.  Any claim by Microsoft to the "Apple III operating
system" is therefore even more tenuous.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail Mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand