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Technology Stocks : MSFT Internet Explorer vs. NSCP Navigator -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Reginald Middleton who wrote (19413)	5/19/1998 12:56:00 PM
From: Daniel Schuh	Respond to of 24154

The economic reality of it is that an operating system is whatever the consumer decides to purchase as an OS. That being whatever Microsoft chooses to give them of course. Like good old retail Win95, maybe not quite flying off the shelves now, but I'm sure it was till recently. This validates whatever collection of code Microsoft throws into the distribution as "what the customers want". Sort of tautological, I'd say, the customers want what Bill gives to them. The invisible hand at work, cleverly disguised as the Microsoft business plan. Of course, the clever Microsoftese definitions of various words and technical terms usually held to mean something else in common usage is an old favorite topic of mine. Cheers, Dan.

To: Reginald Middleton who wrote (19413)	5/19/1998 1:18:00 PM
From: Bearded One	Respond to of 24154

The economic reality of it is that an operating system is whatever the consumer decides to purchase as an OS. I have to admit, to a certain extent, Reginald is correct. A well known OS professor and co-developer of VMS once defined an operating system as "all the code you didn't write." For most people, that would translate to "all the code you didn't purchase separately." Different OS's do different things. Of course, this has nothing to do with the case unless the DOJ allows itself to get tied up in semantic arguments. Microsoft sells a package of software named Windows 95 and illegally tied another package called Internet Explorer 4.0 to stifle competition.

To: Reginald Middleton who wrote (19413)	5/19/1998 1:37:00 PM
From: Thure Meyer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 24154

"The economic reality of it is that an operating system is whatever the consumer decides to purchase as an OS." So, if I sell you a cow and call it a pig, and you buy it because you are too stupid to tell the difference between a cow and a pig, its a pig? I don't think so. If what you say is correct, than every definition is subject to a vote by the consumer. I tell you what..a rose by any other name smells just as sweet... There are other magical forces alive in this world besides "economic reality"... Good luck in your search for reality Thure