Re: required makeinfo version

[Ben Abbott]

On Apr 26, 2013, at 10:23 PM, Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso wrote:

> On 26 April 2013 10:07, Leo Liu <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
>> On OS X makeinfo is stuck with version 4.8 which is too old but apple
>> isn't upgrading anything in GPL3.
> 
> This is a good reason to avoid using Apple products. GPLv3 forbids
> Apple from restricting your devices and from certain patent
> litigations. Which ones of those is Apple keen on?

Its hard to judge what Apple is worried about.  I'm of the impression that Jobs 
was concerned that Apple's products would be judged by the quality of the 
software installed on its products.  It is possible that that concern has been 
manifested in Apple's "App Store" and/or the "iTunes Store" policies.  I'm not 
sure this concern merits being demonized.  For example, I think it reasonable 
for Apple to protect its customers from viruses an such.  Any XP users remember 
the software that promised to clean your PC of pop-ups, spyware, etc? ... Which 
was little more than extortion as much of that garbage was written by the same 
company(s) offering to clean your PC :-(

No doubt GPL based Linux is a preferred solution, but I'm not sure what 
practical alternatives there are for a "for profit" company selling an OS.

Ben