{#} Replies are directed back to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
{#} To reply to the author, write to David Thorp <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> I do second that though. The iApps really have all been something else!
>> Apple just grabs something that, yeah everyone else has thought of, but then
>> does it the right way! My bet is they've got IM right too... but only while
>> in bed with AOL...
>
> Don't know if anyone remembers the history, but Apple actually wrote the
> original code that AOL is based off of. This was back when we (I was at
> Apple at the time) were still dependent on GE for AppleLink, and people paid
> hideous charges for it, including Apple employees. Anyway, Apple decided to
> write it's own (based on Stratus' fault-tolerant hardware---overkill as
> always), and got very close to releasing it, and management killed the
> project. So they sold it to a little company called Quantum Link... Which
> became AOL.
>
> Anyway, when Apple wanted to start eWorld, they had to license back the
> software from AOL, but AOL wouldn't give them rights to modify, only use,
> which is part of what killed eWorld---Apple couldn't "innovate" ;-).
> Anyway, I think there were still some clauses in contracts that required AOL
> to give access to certain things for a price... In other words, AOL could
> set a reasonable price, but not deny.
>
> This was a long time ago, so I might have some minor facts twisted, but...
> At least as of 3 years ago, AOL still ran big chunks of their infrastructure
> on Stratus---namely IM and Chat Rooms, as they were dependent on StrataLink,
> which was a token-ring message passing system.
>
> Bizarre world ;-)
>
> Chris
Well... Waddaya know! Bizarre world indeed!
Thanks for sharing that :-)
--
----------------------------------------------------------------
David Thorp email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sydney, Australia AIM: DaveLovesAust
phone: +61-2-9487-1234 YahooIM: DaveLovesAust
fax: +61-2-9475-4810 MSN: DaveLovesAust
mobile: +61-4-1615-6810 ICQ: 151601444
----------------------------------------------------------------
"For centuries, people thought the moon was made of green
cheese. Then the astronauts found that the moon is really a big
hard rock. That's what happens to cheese when you leave it out."
----------------------------------------------------------------
{#} ----------------------------------------------------+[ fire ]+---
