Did not show up on the list, so I am forwarding another copy;
sorry if there are duplicates
On Mon, 29 Jul 2024, Murray McCullough via cctalk wrote:
I had not realized that 43 yrs. ago Microsoft purchased 86-DOS for $50,000
US not Cdn. money. With this purchase the PC industry, IBM's version
thereof, began. I remember using it to do amazing things, moreso than what
8-bit machines could do!
There are conflicting reports that list that price as $25,000, $50,000, or
$75,000, although there is suppoirt for each
for example:
https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=99
"for $50,000 or $75,000, depending on how the cost is calculated."
The price that IBM paid Microsoft is stated variously as $25,000, $50,000, to
$430,000
Great detail, but a few items are arguable:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-rise-of-dos-how-microsoft-got-the-ibm-pc-os-contract
"By most accounts, Nishi was the one most strongly in favor of Microsoft
getting into the operating system world. Allen said in his autobiography Idea
Man that Gates was less enthusiastic. Allen called Seattle Computer Products
owner Rod Brock and licensed QDOS for $10,000 plus a royalty of $15,000 for
every company that licensed the software."
"In Big Blues: The Unmaking of IBM, Sams is quoted as saying Gates told him
about QDOS and offered it to IBM. "The question was: Do you want to buy it or
do you want me to buy it?" Sams said. Since IBM had already had decided to go
with an open architecture, the company wanted Microsoft to purchase QDOS.
Besides, Sams said, "If we'd bought the software, we'd have just screwed it
up."
"According to Allen, under the contract signed that November, IBM agreed to pay
Microsoft a total of $430,000, including $45,000 for what would end up being
called DOS, $310,000 for the various 16-bit languages, and $75,000 for
"adaptions, testing and consultation."
In contrast, the TV "Pirates of the Valley" made the false and absurd claim
that bill Gates cold-called IBM to convince them to get an operating system!
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred ci...@xenosoft.com
