From: Ryan Anderson <ryan@michonline.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 05:50:54 +0800
To: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Subject: Re: Why I Support Microsoft
In-Reply-To: <v0310280db0c2f8195048@[207.167.93.63]>
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.95.971221161351.14848B-100000@king>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



> Anyway, the recent government actions against Microsoft are reprehensible
> to any person who values liberty. Microsoft is being punished for its
> success.

No, Microsoft is being punished for consistently attempting to eliminate
all competition for PC computer software.  MS achieved a monopoly on the
operating system.  Fine.  They've pretty much earned one in the Desktop
application suite market.  (Partly because they give themselves access to
documentation and versions of the OS before anyone else, and partly
because they don't document large portions of the API, but....)  With the
Web browsers Netscape had a clear market-share lead.  Microsoft responded
with a free browser.  

Remember, under current Anti-trust laws, Microsoft clearly qualifies as a
monopoly.  And giving away products in a potentially competitive market is
clearly predatory pricing.  (And frankly, it has the nice side-effect of
eliminating any chance of choice for the consumer in the long run.)  Check
the surveys done (or published by, I'm not sure right now) Infoworld about
where companies are planning on being in 6 months with regards to web
browsers.   The supposed Netscape dominance in the browser market is going
to completely disappear.

Isn't this enough to tell Microsoft that it has to limit its licensing
deals some?  

Capitalism depends on competition to work, and we've seen several times in
this country that it tends to break down when extremely large companies
begin to dominate a market.  Hence our antitrust laws.  That's entirely
what Microsoft is being sued under.  (In principal, if not actuality..)

Ryan Anderson - Alpha Geek
PGP fp: 7E 8E C6 54 96 AC D9 57  E4 F8 AE 9C 10 7E 78 C9
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