Tech
Umax boss to meet Jobs, discuss clone plans
Frank Huang, chairman and CEO of Mac cloner Umax, will meet Apple chief Steve Jobs on Friday in an attempt to dispel some of the clouds currently surrounding Mac OS licensing plans.
David Robson, managing director of Umax's UK distribution arm IMC, said that Huang will seek clarification on Apple plans, specifically whether Apple will license Mac OS 8 under the same terms it has Mac OS 7.
"We're very confused as to what they are trying to do," Robson said. "We need to find out whether they will license Mac OS 8 and if not, whether we will provide the upgrade path ourselves [by installing the operating system]. It's bad enough the pace of technology forcing changes without a company moving the goalposts."
Robson said that Macintosh licensees had increased public confidence in the platform and added value through additional features, citing Umax's CPU-upgradability as an example.