from www5.zdnet.com, a zd week in review thing:
Microsoft on Monday committed an act that will forever be known as "compliance with a raised middle finger," to quote the San Jose Mercury-News. In complying with a federal court order barring it from tying Internet Explorer to the Windows 95 operating system, Microsoft said it would offer PC makers either the same thing they have now, or older versions of the operating system that wouldn't work well with today's systems.
This decision inflamed an already testy Department of Justice and may well have set in motion what could become a bitter, protracted antitrust fight. It may not matter; many have argued that such battles do not end until well after a decision would actually influence events. But it could in fact turn into something much worse for Microsoft than needed to be.
Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is known for brow-beating reporters and others who challenge him by asking variations on a theme of just how technical they are. The message: no technical pedigree, no respect. This is the card Microsoft played this week, in complying with the absolute technical letter of the law. It may have played that card at just the wrong time.
I don't know about that no technical pedigree qualifier, as near as I can tell with Microsoft, the line is basicly "no respect", no matter who you are, unless you've got something Bill wants and you're getting the proverbial offer you can't refuse. Or maybe I'm just misreading things. Institutional arrogance seems to be a highly esteemed value up Redmond way, but maybe it's all an act, or a funny mind game.
Cheers, Dan. |
