In Its Case Against Microsoft, U.S. Now Cites Note From Apple nytimes.com
After four days spent watching lawyers for Microsoft Corp. attack its key witness, the Justice Department on Tuesday introduced a host of new documents, videotaped depositions and fresh testimony to strengthen its antitrust case and undermine Microsoft's defenses.
Among the new evidence potentially most damaging to Microsoft was a handwritten note describing what the government portrays as strong-arm tactics Microsoft successfully employed to force Apple Computer Inc. to ship Microsoft's Web browser, Internet Explorer, with Macintosh computers. . . .
The Apple evidence consisted of a note from Apple chief financial officer Fred Anderson to Barksdale, explaining why Apple had agreed to use Internet Explorer on Macintosh computers.
Anderson said Microsoft had "threatened to abandon Mac" if the company did not make Internet Explorer the default browser.
Specifically, Anderson said, Microsoft had threatened to stop developing its word processor, Microsoft Word, and other crucial programs for Macintosh computers -- a threat that if carried through, would mean "we were dead," Anderson wrote.
To paraphrase the old saying, there's more than one way to leverage a monopoly. If the OS monopoly isn't enough, the applications will have to do. Meanwhile, we have the unintentionally ironic quote of the day:
"Netscape and the government's account of that meeting changes more often than Dennis Rodman's hair color," said Mark Murray, a Microsoft spokesman.
Yeah, first the conspirators said that Microsoft just wanted to show Netscape "cool new features in Windows 95 they could use", then the guy who said that forget everything, then they said it was all Mark Andreeson's fantastical invention, then they said they were set up. Oops, wrong conspirators.
The government also submitted an internal Microsoft sales document, suggesting how much importance the company placed on insuring that personal computer makers bundled its browser with its operating system -- which was required by Microsoft contracts and done, the government contends, to stifle competition in the browser market.
"It came on my machine, is the Number 1 reason people switch to Internet Explorer," the Microsoft sales presentation from May 1998 declared.
To which Barksdale responded, "It just shows what I've been saying here for a week is true -- and Microsoft knew it."
But not in this context. Anyway, where's the harm? Nobody wants a Windows that sucks less. More features! the people cry. More "technology" formerly known as browsing software, that you can't get rid of if you want to. That's what choice is all about! Microsoft must be free to imitate! er, integrate! I mean, intimidate-- No, Innovate! That's the ticket!
Cheers, Dan, with apologies for the last paragraph. Bill brings out the sarcastic SOB in me. |
