let Microsoft and the others develop their own architecture.. with the
talent of the linux community combined, we can create an architecture that
is better and much less expensive than their's.
let Microsoft run around in circles trying to control the world..
On Fri, 18 Jul 1997, B. James Phillippe wrote:
> The i2o Bus: A Conspiracy Against Free Software?
>
> Bruce Perens (bruce@pixar.com)
> Wed, 16 Jul 97 11:40 PDT
>
>
> Check out http://www.i2osig.org/ "i2o" is a developing "non-proprietary"
> standard for high-performance computer peripherals. Unfortunately, it's a
> closed standard, it requires a NDA, and you need a license to develop
> software for it. Their terms are:
>
> Membership is $5000/year.
> You can't develop software or hardware for it without being a member.
> You can't disclose source code for your drivers.
> You must stop making hardware or software for it if you lose membership.
> Members can vote out other members.
>
> The backers of this are Microsoft, Novell, Hewlet-Packard, and NETFrame.
> It looks as if the i2o agreements are deliberately written to exclude free
> software.
>
> I suspect that if i2o peripherals become popular, free operating systems
> will be locked out from running on PC hardware.
>
> Please take a look at this and give me a reality check.
>
> Thanks
>
> Bruce Perens
> Debian Project Leader
ameth
-- shepard@ameth.org http://www.ameth.org Administrator, Ameth Technologies