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

To: cheryl williamson who wrote (34243)	11/18/1999 3:03:00 PM
From: William Hunt	Respond to of 74651

cheryl---Good synopsis ---the issue needs to be resolved --- BEST WISHES BILL

To: cheryl williamson who wrote (34243)	11/18/1999 3:46:00 PM
From: The Duke of URL©	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 74651

Cheryl: Hey, this just struck me. Why doesn't SUN show the way and open up the microcode for the sparc family so that others could right software for it without begging the solaris guys??????? Duke

To: cheryl williamson who wrote (34243)	11/18/1999 5:02:00 PM
From: John F. Dowd	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 74651

CW: You don't think like PMSW. Hmmm. Listen why doesn't Coke publish their formula. It is their property! Intellectual property is the same as any other property. To force them to give it away would be confiscation of private property. This would be a tough legal position for the DOJ to pursue. But suppose MSFT did sell the rights to their code where is the benefit to anyone. 1st the buyers of these rights would not have the manpower to maintain the code.2. In an effort to be something other than a me too product the new company would make changes which might not be too good for the consumer. We can easily foresee the crazy quilt patchwork of 3-5 Win98's all with different level of compatibilities. Presently I believe that the API's are available to bona-fide developers.3. What is the point when the next version of Windows will be entirely different from the kernel out i.e. It will not be a DOS overlay? What will the competing Win companies then demand that they get a free copy of the new system? If they don't they will be dead in the water as MSFT kicks into binary afterburner? Why, as the DUKE suggests, doesn't every one open their source code up? Why doesn't AOL want to allow MSFT access to its AIM messenger customers? This seems like restraint of trade to me and I feel like entering a a class action suit because I cannot communicate with my kids without getting AIM - how abusive of my rights as a consumer. The remedies proposed are as absurd as the judge's conclusions of findings of fact. There are a 1000 more reasons why this is a bad idea and these are just a few. JFD

To: cheryl williamson who wrote (34243)	11/18/1999 5:32:00 PM
From: taxman	Respond to of 74651

"if StarOffice & others are free of charge." alta vista is free, yet america on line is still in business. regards

To: cheryl williamson who wrote (34243)	11/18/1999 5:59:00 PM
From: Michael Do	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 74651

Cheryl, The question is who would want StarOffice in the first place?? I went to a computer show and saw a retail package of Corel 8 Pro with WordPerfect and all sold for $15 and there seems to be no taker. If someone want to give me few of them they are really good door stopper or paperweight. There are enough of MS Office suite clones out there for Free or small charges (less than $9.95 Sun charges for StarOffice if you want in a CD) that one more won't make a dent. Talking about overprice software, Sun Solaris is way overprice, I think Judge Jackson should break-up Sun or force Sun to release Solaris code to the public because it hurts the consumers, me:-) pocketbook to use it. Regards, Mike