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To: Gerald R. Lampton who wrote (19947)6/6/1998 4:27:00 PM
From: Bearded One  Respond to of 24154
 


Keep in mind that there is no exception for "integrated products" in the Sherman Act. So these semantic games have less relevance than they did in the Consent Decree suit


Great Point! After all, didn't Ma Bell offer "integrated" long distance and local calling? Same wires, same switches, same user interface. As a matter of fact, it is far easier for me to distinguish my filesystem from the internet than it is for me to distinguish whether or not I've received a local or long distance call.



To: Gerald R. Lampton who wrote (19947)6/12/1998 2:34:00 PM
From: Keith Hankin  Respond to of 24154
 
Maybe these are all what you would call "marketing issues." Nevertheless, they are real
benefits to the consumer that arise from bundling.


Yes, these are indeed "marketing issues", but as you point out, there are real benefits to the consumer.

If the products are separated, then there is no assurance that the APIs Quicken needs will be
there when the calls are made, so Quicken will need to replicate the functionality represented by
those APIs in its own product.

Now, you could direct Microsoft to include all the necessary APIs in the OS and not the browser.
But then the government is designing software.


I believe that the solution lies in having the government requiring Microsoft to publish these APIs and allow plug-in capability of third-party module replacements. This would not require the government to design software but to require MSFT to use a certain process in releasing it. Using the car radio analogy, if a monopolistic car company (OK, this requires some imagination) comes out with a new radio that requires a new interface between the car and radio, then the company must publish this interface so that other vendors can provide plug-in replacements for the radio.