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Strategies & Market Trends : Graham and Doddsville -- Value Investing In The New Era -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: porcupine --''''> who wrote (301)	5/7/1998 4:38:00 PM
From: porcupine --''''>	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1722

JUSTICE READY TO SOCK GATES, MOVE COULD SPLIT UP COMPANY DRUDGE REPORT By Matt Drudge Thu May 07 1998 09:50:16 EDT BLOCKBUSTER REPORT: JUSTICE READY TO SOCK GATES, MOVE COULD SPLIT UP COMPANY EXCLUSIVE BUSINESS WEEK is set to report that the Justice Department is planning to launch an expansive antitrust action against MSFT -- within days, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. The report will be published in Friday's BW and posted on the magazine's web and AOL sites. The magazine reveals that the agency wants to pounce by May 15, the date on which the software giant is scheduled to start shipping the Windows 98 operating system to PC makers! Sources familiar with the Justice Department case have laid out a detailed plan of attack against the software giant for BUSINESS WEEK. Barring a last minute settlement -- Gates, Justice Department antitrust chief Klein and top members of their legal did meet Tuesday night at an undisclosed location in Washington -- Justice will charge MSFT with using illegal means to protect its monopoly in PC operating systems and extend its monopoly power into other markets. The Feds are prepared to launch a quick court action to force MSFT to alter Windows 98, which includes a version of the company's Internet browser, BW reports. They want to force MSFT to offer a browser-less version of Windows 98 that would be sold at "a commercially reasonable price" -- meaning less than the version with the browser. Justice is also toying with several possible ways to remove the browser. Up until now, BW reports, Justice Department officials predicted they would not seek a breakup of MSFT. But they now concede that could be the end result if the court concludes splitting up the company is the best solution. INTEL TOO! In a separate story, red-hot BUSINESS WEEK will also reveal that the Federal Trade Commission is prepared to take on the other half of the Information Age duopoly -- INTEL! The magazine will report that by the end of June, the FTC staff plans to file a suit against INTEL to weaken what it believes is a monopoly hold, similar to MSFT's, over a crucial segment of the Nation's high-tech industry. BW says the FTC plans to focus on several of INTEL's business practices, including forcing customer loyalty by withholding chip supply or information on future products from companies that don't use INTEL chips exclusively... x x x x x (http://www.drudgereport.com/1.htm) (c)DRUDGE REPORT 1998

To: porcupine --''''> who wrote (301)	5/8/1998 4:34:00 PM
From: porcupine --''''>	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1722

IBM to Offer Free Windows 98 Upgrade --'''':> SOMERS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 1998--IBM(R) today announced that it will offer a free Windows(R) 98 upgrade, upon its release, to customers who purchase IBM Aptiva(R) E Series and select ThinkPad(R)systems at IBM authorized retailers and from IBM Direct Sales between May 1, 1998 and June 30, 1998. ''IBM wants to make sure that our customers have peace of mind when they buy our systems,'' said Brian Connors, vice president, Aptiva Brand, IBM Consumer Division. ''Knowing that the computer you buy today will be able to take full advantage of Windows 98 when it is available -- and at no cost, should help deliver that peace of mind.'' Customers can receive more information on the Windows 98 upgrade by contacting their retailer at point of purchase or calling IBM at 1-888-IBM-9698.