[Tfug] Microsoft reportedly wants open source software users to pa y rolyalties

[George Cohn]

Anthony Hess wrote:

> Now you're just making stuff up :)

I'm just quoting what I read in the book I mentioned.

Xerox developed the windowing technique and the graphical interface in 
the mid '70's for their Altos.  The guys at PARC even designed and built 
their own clone of the PDP because they weren't allowed to buy one as 
Xerox had bought a smaller computer company called SDS.

The line about Gates telling Jobs that "We both stole it from Xerox" is 
from the book as well.  I make no claims for the accuracy of the book, 
just reporting what I read.

Xerox also invented the Ethernet that we all know and love.  They also 
developed the use of lasers to transmit data across miles of air using 
telescopes from Edmund Scientific, something that was later developed by 
other companies into the fiber optic technology that we use today.

The guy that invented Ethernet left them and founded 3Com to make 
Ethernet cards.  The original licensing agreement was a one time $1,000 
payment for the rights to produce Ethernet hardware.

Many of their intellectuals left them and started their own companies.

Xerox didn't see the marketability of much of what they invented because 
they were focused on leasing office systems.  The laser printer was 
eventually produced but even that project was almost killed several times.

And the final trivia note, the first image ever produced on a graphical 
display at Xerox was the Cookie Monster, munching on a cookie!

Now, the trivia question for the MS fans, what was the code name that 
IBM used for the first PC?  ;-)

George Cohn