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Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Frank Ellis Morris who wrote (25576)	7/6/1999 8:14:00 PM
From: Catcher	Respond to of 74651

Frank, i think Bill could use you on his defense team. someone needs to beat your message re competitive threats to msft (aol, linux(?),internet) into the judges head.

To: Frank Ellis Morris who wrote (25576)	7/6/1999 8:31:00 PM
From: RTev	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 74651

AOL announced that it want's to bring in many more subscribers by giving away free computers without windows. This is an assault on Microsoft and sounds like loud drum beating to me. I see AOL's move more as a response by them to initiatives Microsoft has already taken. Since Microsoft is one of the more paranoid outfits north of the X-Files writer's offices, one rarely has to push them to respond to a competitive threat, but how much of a threat is this move by AOL? Does Microsoft need to do something different than what they're already doing? Not much, as far as I can see. The appeal of these AOL machines (assuming that they ever actually appear) will be to two groups: -- those who have no reason to use a computer other than to get email and occasionally look at a web page. -- those looking for a second machine to use exclusively as a network appliance. What does Microsoft have? An agreement to put machines running Microsoft software on at least half of the settop boxes sold by the country's biggest cable operator. They seem to be working hard at expanding to other systems as well. As I see it, AOL feels the need to respond to the potential threat from cable operators. The focus recently has been on cable modems with their high-speed and premium-priced connection. But the bigger threat to AOL's dreadful service would come from settop boxes that could be used to provide just the kind of limited internet service that the first group mentioned above would respond to. The second group -- those looking for a second machine -- might find the AOL box attractive, but I have to wonder if the techno-inept folks who respond best to AOL's service will not be scared off by the fact that this machine is so different than whatever it is they're used to.

To: Frank Ellis Morris who wrote (25576)	7/6/1999 9:36:00 PM
From: Sonki	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

thx. frank, where did u read about aol not selling w/out windows? tia

To: Frank Ellis Morris who wrote (25576)	7/6/1999 9:54:00 PM
From: Stormweaver	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

You won't have to worry about that. AOL would have to invest millions in providing phone support to the poor non-techies trying to run an inferior desktop. Then try telling them they can't run Quicken or play Quake or run MS Word ... they'd all be crying for Windows. Cheers James