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

To: Dwight E. Karlsen who wrote (6802)	5/9/1998 7:32:00 PM
From: Hal Rubel	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 74651

RE: "To prohibit MicroSoft from offering a browser with the O/S would be like prohibiting car manufacturers from offering A/C as a standard feature of an automobile, to protect independent automobile A/C sellers. " Some Points: * Anti-trust laws apply to car manufacturers too. * There is not just one car manufacturer out there. * Car mfgs. buy air conditioning parts and technology from outside sources, MS would not. It would effectively insulate itself. * Car buyers have long been protected from being sold tricked-up cars rigged to run on only one supplier's brand of non-unique tire, spark plug, fan belt, or air conditioner replacement part. The effect of excluding all browser competition from unprejudiced access to virtually all computers on the planet would be to create an artificial monopoly to eliminate the existence of browser competition WITHOUT ever having to compete against any other browser in the market place. Think of this: If Microsoft actually succeeds in getting its Explorer product to be virtually the only access used to reach the internet, all the rewards and revenues that go to internet browsers for internet commerce now pass exclusively through Microsoft's hands. Bill knows this. That's why the smoke-screen about the OS being able to work only with the "free" Explorer browser. (Does anyone really believe that other browsers could not be made to work with W98?) Ask yourself this also: If MS is successful in rigging the browser market, how much browser innovation would there be going on out side of Microsoft? Or, worse yet, how much browser innovation would there be going on inside Microsoft?! I Say Relax: This DOJ anti-trust stuff may impinge on Bill Gates' ego, but it is the best and most capitalistic thing for Microsoft, for Microsoft shareholders, for Microsoft product users, and for the technical economy as a whole. IMHO HR PS: The idea here is not to protect the competition, its to protect competition. HR

To: Dwight E. Karlsen who wrote (6802)	5/10/1998 7:54:00 PM
From: J Krnjeu	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

Mr. Dwight E. Karlsen, <<Take the automobile. There has been a steady stream of added features, many of which were probably at one time offered by third party vendors. Surely there has been an equitable way to allow innovation in the automobile. Imagine if the automakers had been prohibited from offering innovations which were being offered by third parties? Sure, the brower is NOT integral to the operation of the basic O/S functions. Neither is the air-conditioner integral to the operation of the basic automobile functions (getting down the road safely). But for practical purposes, most new car buyers want air conditioners in their new car, so it is a de-facto necessity in the eyes of the consumer. So it is with the browser. How many PC users out there don't want anything to do with the internet? The browser has become a defacto necessity to the software sold with a new PC. To prohibit MicroSoft from offering a browser with the O/S would be like prohibiting car manufacturers from offering A/C as a standard feature of an automobile, to protect independent automobile A/C sellers. >> Well said. If I might add, car companies change the look of their cars all the time. The basic function of a car today is the same as a model-T was 70 years ago but has been vastly improved. Windows 95 is much different than DOS and they are both operating systems. Windows 95 is much different than Windows 3.1 and they are both operating systems. Each OS has more functionality and is better than the previous one. A company has the right to improve their product, unless this is communism. It is difficult at best to predict the future, especially in computers and a company needs the flexibility to be able to change their products as they see fit. I find the integration of the internet into my PC operating system a good and worth while direction. I believe that SUN computer's Scott should stop crying and if he believes that Java would make a better OS, then go ahead and write it. Put it out there and let the consumer decide if they want his Java OS or Bill's Windows. Let the consumers decide not the government. If Netscape was as good as they think they are, they would spend less time crying to the government for protection and improve their browser. The first thing for them to do would be to have multiple windows displayed and operating at the same time. I guess it's much easier to whine than to be inventive. By the way, there is a browser that has multiple windows open and operating at the same time, it's cost is free off the net. Better watch out, Netscape will complain to the government because some one has a better browser and they are giving it away. Thank you JK