Duane,
I was suggesting that PC operating systems should be
in the public domain because PC hardware is in the
public domain.
This would take away the DOJ argument that MSFT was
a monopoly because they couldn't, by definition,
participate in such questionable activities as product
tying or predatory pricing if all they published and
sold were applications software for the pc.
If the OS were standardized, and the API's were published
and available to all developers, free of charge, everyone
is protected from being muscled out of the market.
MSFT already has a running head start on PC apps makers,
anyway, so it wouldn't really hurt them that much. But
they WOULD have to improve product quality to stay
competitive.
I don't see a role for the government, except, perhaps,
to oversee the xfer of all MSFT control over their
operating systems to a maintaining entity. What would
be even better, IMO, would be for MSFT to publish all
their source and API's, maintain the OS to the published
standards, and give away the OS for free. That would
have the same effect. It seems to me that if MSFT wanted
to settle this whole case in a "fair and equitable"
manner, that they would offer to do this. I really
can't see a downside for anyone. Can you??
cheers,
cherylw |
