On Sat, 24 Jan 2004, Ernest wrote:
> I know that this is a bit like comparing apples and oranges but I was
> wondering who did what first?
>
> Phoenix produced a legal clone of IBM's system Bios, which enabled other
> companies to produced cheaper clones of the IBM PC.
>
> V-tech produced a legal clone of the Apple II+ ROMs, which it used in
> the Laser 128 (the only legal clone of the Apple II.)
>
> I'm guessing that Phoenix was first, and Laser followed their example
> when it decided to clone Apple's ROM codes. Is this correct? Did Phoenix
> set an example for the whole industry?
I'm not sure (my guess is Phoenix since the Laser didn't come out until
around 1983/84) but I'm pretty sure "cleanroom" reverse engineering has
been around longer than that.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
[ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ]
[ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]
Received on Sat Jan 24 2004 - 13:45:04 GMT