Re: Apple II vs Atari 800

["super_stonic@yahoo.com" <super_stonic@yahoo.com>]

That's the problem of trying to argue an issue based in 1980, using
laws from 2008 :)

But getting back to the earlier topic of Atari tech documentation,
it's well known that the architecture of the Atari 8-bits were *very*
closed the first year or 2.  Nolan Bushnell speaks of how he was
opposed to this approach by Warner management, in the "Stella At 20"
documentary, and why the closed arch. was the reason why major
software titles like VisiCalc appeared on the Apple II first. Owen
Rubin has also publicly talked about the first time he got an Atari
800 (while working at Atari), and how he received no tech docs for it
(because they hadn't been written yet!).  Until the book, De Re Atari,
there was very little info.

I think after the courts ruled in Activision's favor (regarding 3rd-
party software for the VCS), they realized it was impossible to keep
the software market all to themselves.  Whether or not they realized
that 3rd-party software only helped hardware sales, I don't know (but
I doubt it since the 7800 and later systems used software encryption),
but the correct approach had to be forced upon them.  Nintendo
actually succeeded in locking out 3-rd party software (except for
"rogue" companies who circumvented the lockout chip, like.... Tengen/
Atari! Maybe they did finally understand it. lol).