Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : All About Sun Microsystems -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: cfimx who wrote (10242)	6/28/1998 11:40:00 AM
From: micromike	Respond to of 64865

go buy all the linux and solaris you want. the masses have spoken with their wallets and choose msft products over and over Yeah right. The masses don't understand the system MS has in place to control the masses. The masses don't have a chance to speak or even a choice on some products. If that was the case then MS wouldn't have sloppy products they presently sell to the masses. The DOJ is trying to help the masses. Just by investigating MS here is one of the ways the DOJ has helped the masses. Office Rivals Must Act Now to Gain Ground techweb.com It appears that Microsoft's monopoly in this arena is unshakable. So much so,in fact, that the government added Office merely as an afterthought in its antitrust case against Microsoft. In the words of one analyst this week: "It's over, and it's been over for a long time." Nonetheless, the antitrust case looming over Microsoft appears to be opening doors normally closed to Corel and Lotus. PC makers, most of which are compelled to preload Windows or bundle Office by contract or discount, are beginning to experiment with alternatives as the government pursues its case against Microsoft. Gateway, which recently announced it will preload the Windows boot-up screen as it sees fit, and not as Microsoft dictates, is leading the way. --- Tell me it's not so, how could the masses not know about this tactic. If you watch the Senate hearing on MS you would have heard this turkey named Mike Dell. I think it was Hatch who asked why some of his aids phoned up his order desk and wanted Netscape on the computer they wished to buy from Dell. All of his order desk employees said they couldn't get it but only could get IE. One employee even said that Netscape was better than IE but they can't supply it. Hatch previously asked Dell how his company operated. He told them that they supply products what the consumer demands. So Hatch asked why any of his aids couldn't get Netscape but only IE on the systems Dell sells? Tell me it not so Twister. JMHO Mike

To: cfimx who wrote (10242)	6/28/1998 6:04:00 PM
From: cfimx	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 64865

twister, I wrote this in mid 1997 and thought you might like to be updated. I wouldn't change a word of it. I HONESTLY belive that Sunw is on track to repeat the Apple and SGI debacles. As you recall, those companies arrogantly defied the undeniable secular trend in computing today. Those companies are staying at the "vertically integrated" party far too long, as is Scott Mcnealy's Sun Microsystems. Sott has set up Sun to be what I believe will be the "last" great vertically integrated computer company. That is Sun designs, builds, sells it's own Hardware, OS, and support software, as well as having a service and support infrastructure. The problem: And nobody around here believes this will happen, but Microsoft and Intel, looking for EVERY available opportunity to grow their domains, each have SUN in their sights. While there was always some competition, Micosoft and Intel are now overtly targeting the bread and butter businesses of Sunw, i.e. the workstation and server markets. Already, inroads are being made at the low end forcing in essence, sunw to pursue the "high end graveyard" to borrow the astute terminology of ex SGI founder Jim Clark, who btw, left SGI at THE TOP. Sunw now has defiantly set itself up as the WINTEL alternative, when it is plainly obvious that CUSOTMERS LIKE wintel products. And despite protestations from Mcneally, MS OFFICE, as is plainly evident, IS A WINNING PRODUCT, not a loser as Scott would have it. Many of Sunw's feircest competitors have already recognized the Wintel threat and are HEDGING their bets. That IS PRUDENT BUSINESS practice. That is not happening at Sunw. From my vantage point, Sunw will eventually be further walled off and isolated at the high end, and increasingly face the Apple problem of selling to the "converted." The marginal customer will be a tough sell. Prices will eventuall have to be dramatically lowered, first on the low end, then on the high. That will crash gross margins, which are unustainably high. Of course, this is the same fate that SGI and Apple are dealing with now. Will it happen overnight, No. But day by day, wall street will be measuring sunws progress more and more against the announcements of INTEL and Microsoft's enterprise strategy, and less against HP, SGI , DEC. Predictions: Wall Street wants to see a WINDOWS NT strategy at Sunw, if only a contigency plan. This will continue to be a wind in sunws face. Someone said that they expect a major announcement shorty. I think that Sunw may want to SELL itself and allow Mr. McNealy a graceful exit. They may do something desperate like buy Apple, which would be a disaster. Sunw's Gross Margins are headed to the sub 40% level within 18 months. I say this not because I HATE sunw, but because this is the "rule of law" in the computer business. I recall ED Mcraken, a smart fellow, saying that SGI absolutely DEPENDED on high gross margins to execute their business model. Sunw has that same dependency. You can say that Sunw is not SGI and not APPLE. Go back and look at the 5 year charts people. These companies were once considered INVINCEABLE. quote.yahoo.com quote.yahoo.com