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

To: Dwight E. Karlsen who wrote (6843)	5/11/1998 12:49:00 PM
From: Logos	Respond to of 74651

Compaq vs Microsoft: Hmm, I think my original point is being misunderstood. I'm not saying Compaq are the good guys and Microsoft are the bad. I'm only saying that yes, Microsoft basically did threaten to put Compaq out of business, or at least seriously damage them. If the roles had been reversed, I'm sure Pfeiffer would have done the same to Gates, Compaq is not a collection of angels. Compaq basically wanted to be able to differentiate their computers from the Dells and Packard Bells of the world, and they were very annoyed at Intel and Microsoft since those two were making this differentiation very difficult. So Compaq apparantly decided to hit both Intel and Microsoft, probably to show that they're not pushovers. First, they started buying huge numbers of chips from Intel's competitors AMD and Cyrix. They couldn't do the same to Microsoft since there's no realistic mass market competitor to Windows, but they used that very fact against Microsoft, talking about how Microsoft bullied them and threatened to put them out of business, and also making a big deal about the non-disclosure agreements Microsoft forced them to sign. Microsoft was already in hot water over how they were putting Netscape through the meat grinder, and when Compaq's story came out, it became obvious (to me anyway) that Microsoft was going to face the DOJ music. Microsoft, because it really is a monopoly, has to be careful how it deals with others. It's probably in their own self-interest. Their treatment of Netscape and Compaq and their stupid arrogance in the early court proceeding has made it very easy for their enemies to paint them as the big bad bully, and a lot of attorneys general apparantly are advancing their own careers by "standing up for the little guy" against Microsoft. I'm just waiting for some AG to get on TV and say something like Bill "Big Bully" Gates. Haz