> We need to differentiate between Retail Sales BY MICROSOFT, V > manufacture > and WHOLESALE sales by Microsoft to OEMs for them to retail. With a > WIDE > variety of different packagings, ranging from personalized to the OEM > (Compaq, Zenith, Morrow, etc.), very generic, and even packaging that > would not be out of place for a Microsoft retail sale.
Fred, That is an interesting issue that you bring up. This is a picture of the "retail box" I am speaking about: https://diskettes.pcjs.org/pcx86/sys/dos/microsoft/3.20/MSDOS320-BOX.jpg While I admit it could have been an OEM release the box art and packaging would make it seem a bit over the top. I have to double check if it also includes the easel acrylic box like earlier MS products or not. > But, if you have reason to believe that your copies came directly from > Microsoft, not through an OEM, OR came through a retail store that had > no affiliation with an OEM, then I need to revise my perception of when > Microsoft started to retail DOS. Has anybody ever seen a retail price > list or RETAIL SALES (V product) ad? (write/call to purchase) > YES, I can be TOTALLY WRONG. I felt the elephant's tail and smelled > the > region, but did not have the big picture. Unfortunately, even my NOS items are second hand, for the most part, so providence is something I cannot guarantee. I have seen other packaging from OEMs for the same dos (e.g. TI) and it is definitely much more generic then this. It is just a pair of red binders with slip cases. -Ali
