Re: Apple planning to use Clipper chip?

[collins@newton.apple.com (Scott Collins)]

I do not, in any capacity, speak for Apple.  But...

  >Apple even discussed the
  >pricing and said that if the Clipper/Skipjack chip could be sold to
  >them for less than $30, they could "design it into every Mac."

Based on long experience with Macs and Mac software (system and otherwise),
I think this is highly unlikely.

1. Apple has a history of following the 'software only' approach in general.

2. Apple loudly and often touts compatability across its entire line.

3. 3rd party Mac developers have little incentive to write software with mass
   appeal (e.g., communications software) but limited applicability (because of
   hardware requirements).

4. If the software isn't pre-installed in your system, then unless it comes from
   Microsoft, such a 'questionable' standard is probably avoidable.

5. Therefore, for a standard to emerge on the Mac... 1) Apple would have to
   begin producing machines that contained this chip; 2) Apple would have to
   produce special system software, explicitly for this class of machines,
   that used this chip; 3) Apple would have to produce compelling end-user
   communications software that used clipper services on this class of machines
   and either didn't run at all on earlier hardware, or didn't use clipper
   technology.

   It is unlikely that a 3rd party would do it, or have any impact if it did.

   But Apples history is scalable software that runs on every machine (ala
   QuickTime).  If Apple wanted to introduce privacy enhancement technology in
   its system, it seems economically and historically more probable that it
   would simply license RSA/DES/etc technology and roll in a software only
   service.

This is my opinion, based solely on my nine years of experience as
Macintosh developer.

To paraphrase Columbo: "It's my experience, sir, that people rarely do
things they don't *usually* do."  ...which may sound obvious, but then you
*saw* the killer do it in the first 10 minutes...


Scott Collins         | "Few people realize what tremendous power there
                      |  is in one of these things."     -- Willy Wonka
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