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To: Wyätt Gwyön who wrote (3455)	5/5/2001 11:21:09 AM
From: JMD	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 74559

Not sure what you mean, Mucho. Certainly agree that cash on hand is not the be all and end all of accounting metrics. MSFT could theoretically have billions in the bank because they just borrowed billions so cash gives a false picture of the company's 'wealth'. However, in this case, Mr. Softie's $30 billskie is not offset by anything remotely equivalent in liabilities, and in fact is a fairly decent, if crude, proxy for accumulated wealth. One does not create that truckload of dough from "financing activities" or screwing around with options--$30 B is real money in just about anybody's book and its source is indeed profits from operations, or at least largely so. Nobody can swear to the accuracy of the event, but it is well known that Warren Buffet won't touch tech stocks with a 200 foot pole. At the same time, he and Bill Gates are known to be pals. When Buffet was told about MSFT's cash position, he allegedly responded that "they must be doing something right" which in Buffet-speak is tantamount to the most lavish praise imaginable. regards, mike doyle