Buddha Buck wrote off-list (the best place) to the effect that <snip> One thing I hear from your comment is that the MS Apps folks had access to pre-release API's to base their apps on. <snip> Which meant that the MS App folks got a head-start on development on the new versions <snip>
and I replied (off-list) Correct! I believe that to be the valid complaint. It was 2-edged (the early, changing versions of OLE were a nightmare, they broke schedules, they broke marriages and they broke people) but still valid. I have been out since '96 so I don't know if it still goes on. I would add that I personally think that the conspiracy theories are tosh and that businesses are *supposed* to compete but people don't like it when they win. Most businesses play as close to the rules as they can and sometimes they step over the mark. In the case of the Netscape thing, MS was badly frightened and felt it was fighting for its life, it was so far behind. I don't think that big monopolies are a good thing, but the nature of the economics of scale in software tends to produce them and we need new law which we haven't got (neither in the US nor elsewhere). Enough. I'm concerned that this is a non-ABC thread so I'll stop here and only reply further off-line, but I thought I should reply to this lest I be seen as an MS PR bod (which I am not!). Laurie ----- Original Message ----- From: "Buddha Buck" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <snip> One thing I hear from your comment is that the MS Apps folks had access to pre-release API's to base their apps on. <snip> Which meant that the MS App folks got a head-start on development on the new versions <snip> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary J Sibio" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2002 7:01 AM Subject: Re: [abcusers] The virtues of handling music graphically I'm responding tomore than just your post here so not everything here applies to what you wrote. At 11:49 PM 4/14/02 +0100, you wrote: >You seemed to miss the point. I *was* in MS. >Which part of MS were you in? 1) I did miss your point that you worked for MS. 2) You were speaking of interfaces; I was speaking of API calls. 3) Someone asked about evidence 3a) the Justice Department suit. They recommended splitting up Microsoft because they were able to use code in the operating system to their benefit which was not generally made available to other developers. 3b) Anybody who writes code for Windows knows that there are undocumented API calls because they have been uncovered by individuals who then spread the word about them via the Internet, books or journals. While Microsoft recommends against their use because they can be changed without notice. Of couse that does not apply to MS who knows exactly how and when these changes will take place. 4) Someone griped that this is an ABC group and not a MS-bashing group which, to a point, is a valid issue and this is the last I intend to post on this topic. However, it is also for people who write ABC software - if it wasn't for the software, ABC would be pretty useless, wouldn't it - and have to deal with the fact that MS does have its little tricks. The upshot is, if you like the way MS operates, that's your business but don't try to convince me they deal evenhandedly with third-party developers. I've been screwed over by them too often to buy it. Unfortunately, market realities demand that MS has to be dealt with. Gary J. Sibio To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
