From:	Hans-Bernhard Broeker <broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de>
Newsgroups:	comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject:	Re: USB support for DOS
Date:	29 Sep 2000 09:22:26 GMT
Organization:	Aachen University of Technology (RWTH)
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References:	<009001c02986$089f7bc0$0500007b AT brk>
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To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
DJ-Gateway:	from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Reply-To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com

>>Actually, DJGPP comes with a DPMI host called CWSDPMI, which supports
>>DPMI v0.9 with some v1.0 extensions.  Most other DPMI hosts, including
>>Windows, support v0.9 only.

> How come? Wasn't DPMI even their idea?

DPMI was defined by Microsoft, indeed.  Why they never implemented
level 1.0 of it, in any of their products, is anyone's guess.  Unless
someone drags them to court over it and wins, it's highly dubious
they'll ever tell the world *why* they really took any of their
decisions of this kind.  Such strategy decisions are considered trade
secrets.

One possible explanation would be that DPMI 1.0 was only ever defined
as part of a FUD campaign, i.e. in order to keep competitors
struggling to implement it, and then just refuse to follow up that
road, effectively wasting other companies' money.  Microsoft has long
been known to define 'standards' even more rapidly than they
themselves could properly implement them, just to create the
appearance that they are the head of competition.

Or, if you want to stick to the old principle "innocent until proved
otherwise": they may have noticed that 1.0 features would have caused
more trouble in their use of DPMI than their benefits could outweigh.
I.e. Microsoft might have bitten off more than even they could chew,
when they defined 1.0.
-- 
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.

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