🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Sep11.080627.4288@cco.caltech.edu>,
echuang@cco.caltech.edu (Ernest Y. Chuang) writes: 
> I just bought a new computer which came with MS-DOS 5.0 and Win 3.1,
> but they weren't just preloaded on the hard drive -- they were in
> shrink-wrapped boxes complete with manual and floppies.  What confuses
> me is that they don't appear to be the genuine Microsoft products.
> (I already have the MSDOS 5.0 and Win 3.1 that I bought for my previous
> computer.)
> 
> Although both boxes say "Microsoft" MSDOS and Windows, there are also
> other names on the boxes -- "MTD" on the DOS5 box, and "Electron" on
> the Win3.1 box.  The names are prominently displayed and the box
> designs are distinctly different from my "real" Microsoft boxes, so
> it doesn't seem like they're trying to disguise their origin, but I
> wouldn't have thought that Microsoft would license anyone else to
> produce their software.
> 
> I haven't opened the shrink-wrap, since I was wondering if I could
> sell these, so I don't know if the manual or registration card would
> tell me anything more about them.  Anyone know if these are legit?
> 
> - Ernest Chuang
>   echuang@cco.caltech.edu
> 

These are very probably "OEM" (Original Equipment Manufacturer) versions,
licensed by the hardware company from Microsoft.  Until DOS 5.0 this was the
normal way to get a DOS -- i.e. from the hardware manufacturer and not from
Microsoft.  Most of the bigger companies still do this, including reprinting
the Microsoft manuals.

In some cases DOS may be customized by the hardware company to work better
with their hardware, so if you sell these to someone who does not have the
same hardware as you they may have some difficulty using them.  And unless
you use them yourself you may miss something helpful or necessary with
your hardware.

Regarding reselling, you should read the licenses which should be visible
without opening any packages.  A Microsoft license I just checked does allow
transferring the software to someone else with minimal restrictions that
you'd automatically meet with shrinkwrapped packages.

-- regards, S Pacenka, Cornell Univ.