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Re: Is it just me, or...



An appeal to emotion or to the undeserved goodwill  Microsoft benefits from 
is par for the course, and exactly what I would expect from a senator.  
There is no political profit in trashing the evil empire.  Thanks to a lap 
dog popular and trade press, most people outside the industry think that MS 
invented the GUI, browser, word processor, spreadsheet, etc., and that Gates 
is a geek god of some sort.

If you were to attibute any sense to the senator's comments, you might agree 
that progress makes the traditional arms-length arrangement between 
operating system and applications obsolete.  You would be wrong, but you 
could argue that.  But you still could not explain the preponderance of 
Microsoft's behavior, which was caused by arrogance and a false sense of 
invincibility.

People who are prone to speak about free enterprise and competition should 
encourage Microsoft to do that - compete, rather than to engage in 
anti-competitive practices.  I be they could produce some fabulous stuff if 
they had to compete on the dreaded LPF (level playing field).

For the record, I am betting on a breakup.  They would not comply with any 
behavior based settlement, and we know that from experience.

imho, of course.

>...does this quote (which regards the MS court ruling) make absolutely
>no sense?:
>
>
>
>U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson said in his decision
>released Monday that ... Microsoft (MSFT) ran afoul of the Sherman Act's
>restrictions on anti-competitive conduct...
>
>Just minutes after the decision's release, one Republican legislator
>found something to complain about.
>
>"Microsoft is right to appeal this ruling. The government's case stands
>on the shifting sands of a rapidly changing marketplace," said House
>Majority Leader Dick Armey. "Dwelling on the past only prevents the
>development of new technologies that bring benefits to consumers."
>

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