Daniel, here's a good one.
redherring.com
In the summer of 1997, Microsoft invested in or bought
out most of the players in the then-burgeoning streaming
multimedia field. And before that, it used its control of
Windows to harm competing software like Digital
Research's DR DOS.
It's precisely this arrogance -- the belief that Microsoft
can pick and choose the winners and losers in the
technology industry, independent of the market -- that
prompts the industry to fear Microsoft. And well they
should. While industry luminaries like Cypress
Semiconductor CEO T.J. Rodgers argue that all tech
companies act like Microsoft, such rhetoric does not
recognize Microsoft's custodial relationship of industry
standards like the Windows operating system -- a
responsibility to which Microsoft's defense, to date, has
not owned up.
True, yet I feel this was the same boat a friend of mine who's co-owner of the second largest ISP in Portland, OR went through when "MA Bell" and siblings started making noise about going into the ISP biz. I actually had thoughts of starting one up in late 94 myself, gave in due to fear it was too late.
Looking forward to a few more rounds before we get a sense of where this thing is headed. I disconnected the cable the other day, moving into the new house and am now "forced" to live on the net for news. Actually, I'm thinking I won't turn the cable back on in the new house, but then the twins would whine on about missing Disney and all the other fine cartoons. Of course I'd miss the Bill and Monica news, yawn....
Cheers (tm), Eric
Note: Cheers is a registered trademark of Daniel Schuh. |
