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

To: John Chen who wrote (28014)	8/8/1999 1:02:00 PM
From: RTev	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 74651

How much impact would a $150/NetPC with no OS, just browser, has on MSFT. I think it would have an impact, but it would not be devastating to Microsoft. (And, by the way, almost every microprocessor device has some kind of OS, limited though it may be.) Some of these appliances would be sold instead of a PC, but many of them would be bought -- as you suggest you might do -- as an addition to a PC. With Windows CE, Microsoft is in a good position to compete for the web appliance market. Right now, CE is used only on handheld computers and, soon, in the next version of WebTV. But it could also be used effectively for a dedicated web box. If a market for those things ever develops (and I think it will), I believe that a CE box would be appealing, since it has the advantage of familiarity and it could include several additional utilities that make it more PC-like. Microsoft is also in a good position to make such devices easily networkable with Windows PCs. Admittedly, Microsoft has a problem getting OEMs to adopt CE. Its reputation precedes it, and some companies seem to fear that they would lose control of their own product if they allow Microsoft in as the little-OS. But a developer community seems to be growing for the system. It might yet become a very important part of Microsoft's product mix.

To: John Chen who wrote (28014)	8/8/1999 9:27:00 PM
From: ed	Respond to of 74651

Well, my ideas about Microsoft's future is quite different than yours. The reason a PC is called a PC is because it has a brain , an OS , no matter it is called a NET PC or independent PC. In the future , if you want to access the net, you can just buy a set top box , less than $200, and hook up to your TV set . People really do not need a PC which is just use to connect the net. The reason I want a PC is because I want some machine which had more capability than just connecting to the internet, otherwise I will connect to my Internet through TV. So, a machine can just connect to internet is not called PC.Whenever I bought a PC, I want the machine can offer the power of word processing, spread sheet ...etc, whether it is a sub $200 PC or High end PC . Without the Window OS, a PC will not be called a PC anymore, because many application programs worked with Window can not serve my application, and my PC is just a waste , whether it is sub $200 or sub $500. I do not want that kind of PCs.