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

To: John Donahoe who wrote (4037)	11/15/1997 6:26:00 PM
From: Davd S. Carson	Respond to of 74651

Personally, I dislike computers with personalities. I would like to sit down at a PC and be able to assume that there will be at least some similarity between my home machine and my office machine. I have enough challanges in my life without the challange of having to deal with a new computer in each setting. Plug and play is currently a joke. I recently had a computer in the shop and it took them 45 minutes to figure out how to get the plug and play modem to work. The fact is that while I certainly support freedom of choice, there are certain standards that we all have to accept. I.e. three prongs on a plug, dc power in the household, train tracks of the same width. My point is that to a certain extent we need standardization. I would not be surprised if we were many years ahead if free enterprise were allowed to work instead of constant ( and intrusive) government intervention. IMHO David.

To: John Donahoe who wrote (4037)	11/16/1997 10:20:00 PM
From: Columbo	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

"It is worth stressing that Microsoft's monopolistic practices... Mighty impressive but please include the rest: "However, the fact that a monopoly has a social purpose is hardly unprecedented. Most of the monopolies of the past were lauded by many segments of the business community for ending reckless speculation and destructive competition in favor of stability--just look back at the initial respect for John D. Rockefeller in creating Standard Oil. It is only later, as the monopoly matures and upstart competition finally fades, that the abuses of monopoly clearly overwhelm its advantages. At that point it is extremely hard to reverse." ======== To answer the question "When is a monopoly good?". From what I remember, it is good when you need to guarantee a service like electricity or sewer service. Economist could probably expand. The big diff here is that it's regulated. MH #0