Got this recently and thought it only right to share it with you.
"On Microsoft's Being Forced To Split:
Wow, what an awesome day for computing! Thanks, Judge Jackson!
Just think, in today's horribly noncompetitive, Microsoft-dominated environment, we have no real browser choices at all, except for AwebII, Amaya, Arachne, Cello, Chimera, Grail, HotJava, I-Com, I-View, IBrowse,InterGo, Internet Workhorse, Lynx, Mosaic/MultiLingual Mosaic, NeoPlanet, NetCruiser, Netscape, Mozilla, OmniWeb, Opera, Quarterdeck, Spyglass, STiK/CAB, Sesame Navigator, SlipKnot, Softerm, Tango, Tiber, TkWWW, UdiWWW, Voyager, WebExplorer, WebTV, iCAB, Microsoft's Internet Explorer and a few others; or about 100 different ones in all if you count various subtypes and versions. Thank you, Judge Jackson, from rescuing us from this lack of choice!
Likewise, in today's horribly noncompetitive, Microsoft-dominated operating system environment, we are totally *straightjacketed* into running only BeOS or FreeBSD or FreeDOS or Solaris or OS/2 or the MacOS or the AmigaOS or any of the many classic *NIXen or any of the approximate 50(!) flavors of Linux--- or one of the 5 flavors of Windows
in wide circulation. I can't wait until we actually have some choices!
Clearly, Microsoft's stranglehold on the industry has completely stifled development of all alternative approaches and kept prices artificially high, which is why computers remain exotic and rare luxury purchases in the hands of only tiny numbers of the super-rich and the technologically elite.
Thanks to Judge Jackson's vision and courage, maybe one day we'll reach the goal of having computers for the masses, in every business and many homes; with hardware and software so cheap some companies--- ISPs, for example--- will even be able to give away complete computer systems for free, just for signing up! And we'll finally have a choice among dozens
of browsers and dozens of operating systems, many of which won't cost a dime. Clearly, this happy day of cheap, ubiquitous hardware and abundant, affordable software never would happen without Judge Jackson's brave actions.
Er, waitaminit---it already happened? Long *before* Jackson's ruling?
Um, Judge, can we talk?" |
