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

To: John Donahoe who wrote (4103)	11/20/1997 6:32:00 PM
From: X-Ray Man	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

Well, I may have misinterpreted you. The statement you made that confused me was: >Since the DOJ has not to date stated that giving the browser away is >illegal, and assuming the DOJ doesn't stop the practice, does this >mean that MSFT's IE will in all likelyhood replace Netscape's NAV as >dominant browser? Thus, you raised the point of DOJ action against MSFT, and since you were discussing dumping, I evidently incorrectly took you to be implying that the DOJ was concerned about "dumping" in trying to restrain MSFT in current browser distribution. Thus my point about what DOJ was actually trying to do in dispute with MSFT about browser distribution. So, therefore we agree that DOJ is not trying to prevent MSFT freely distributing browser, just prevent them from OEM agreements requiring bundling in ways that would be adverse to competition. Re: comment that NSCP "dumped" then raised prices. Yes, in a sense, that is true, except at the time almost all current browsers were being given away free (eg, Mosaic from UIUC). There was little in the way of competition. Not unreasonable IMO for MSFT to gain entry by distributing free, even if they charge later, provided they don't leverage with other methods to essentially eliminate all competition before raising prices. Although I take MSFT at face value when they say to plan to keep it "free", in as much as if they dominate OS, and it is bundled with OS always, then essentially it is free like the transmission in your car is "free" with the purchase of the engine and body.