Quote:
Originally Posted by teh603
Isn't that how MS handled DOS on early PCs, though? If you made it and it didn't have a 68k processor, it *had* to come with MS-DOS? Nobody batted an eyelid at it, either.
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No, it wasn't.
MS sold MS DOS under two different types of OEM contracts.
OEMs could choose to keep precise track of how many PCs they installed MS DOS on and pay for the licenses on a per unit basis, or they could designate specific PC models as MS DOS computers and pay a license fee for each unit they shipped of that model. The volume discount for the latter was much lower than the former so most OEMs chose to go with it. (Any models that were designated for alternate OS installs did not pay a DOS license fee. Most PC manufacturers just didn't bother to make alternate-OS PCs.)
The FTC looked into complaints of this back in the late 80's and cleared MS; mostly because the idea came from the OEMs--they didn't want the added tracking expense when MS DOS was almost 100% of their business at the time. DR-DOS was actually a distant third behind even XENIX.
The same thing with all the PCs that came with Office preinstalled--the idea came from Gateway2000, not Microsoft.