Some interesting comments on how Bob and Karen Bean (Baystate now Cadkey principles) did business:
You won't read this on the Cadkey website.
http://www.darwinmag.com/read/080103/reverse.html
"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