Some interesting comments on how Bob and Karen Bean (Baystate now Cadkey principles) did business:
You won't read this on the Cadkey website.
"The facts: In 1991, Harold Bowers was an inventor, businessman and owner of HLB Technology, Inc., a company specializing in simplifying computer-assisted drawing (CAD). One of his products, named Geodraft, was a separate computer program designed to work with the popular Cadkey CAD program. When activated, the Geodraft program guides the Cadkey user through the arduous and error-prone process of creating "Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing" (GD&T) symbols, which tell the reader of a mechanical drawing how precise a part has to be manufactured to operate correctly. For example, a drawing of a car door handle might specify that it must be three inches long. The GD&T symbol tells the person making the handle how close to three inches the handle actually has to be (e.g., "is 2.999 inches close enough?"). "
"Bowers was not the only one selling Cadkey products, and was not the only one selling GD&T computer programs for use with Cadkey. However, when rival Baystate Technologies began selling a disturbingly familiar-looking GD&T program, Bowers took note. When Baystate priced its products to beat Bowers's prices, Harold Bowers became concerned. When Baystate then used its profits to acquire the makers of Cadkey and terminate Bowers's status as an authorized dealer, Bowers was devastated - he could no longer develop and sell the very products that were the staple of his business."
jon