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

To: Bearded One who wrote (22060)	12/8/1998 11:05:00 PM
From: Gerald R. Lampton	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 24154

The fact is, the Microsoft programmer can just say "yes, it makes maintainability harder, but the resultant code runs 1.732% faster, and we decided that speed was more important." Close, but no, the Microsoft programmer will say "yes, it makes maintainability harder, but the resultant code runs 1.732% faster, and we decided that consumers think that little extra bit of speed is worth the price (i.e., the trade-off) of harder maintainability." And I'm not sure there is anything the government can say to rebut that, other than to show that the Microsoft programmer is just flat out lying, and that the whole technical claim is nothing but a pretext to cover up anticompetitive intent. And my guess is that the law will presume that the Microsoft programmer knows more about Microsoft code than anyone else. You and I know that that wasn't the real consideration, and that the programmer is lying, but Farber's testimony won't knock it down. What the DOJ really needs is a document, some sort of email that says "let's integrate the code so that it's harder to use Netscape." That's the sort of support that the DOJ needs for this part of the case. Of course, this is only my opinion (God only knows what the D.C. Circuit will say), and just the memo won't be enough if the proffered technical justification (see above) is true, but you're definitely on the right track and getting warmer. :)

To: Bearded One who wrote (22060)	12/8/1998 11:31:00 PM
From: Keith Hankin	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 24154

Yes Charles you're right, but Gerald has a point. The fact is, the Microsoft programmer can just say "yes, it makes maintainability harder, but the resultant code runs 1.732% faster, and we decided that speed was more important." I fail to see how any integration would make the browser any faster than if it was not integrated, unless if MSFT is contending, for example, that the low-level graphical device i/o functionality that the browser uses is inseparable from the browser, which I find very hard to believe. I do not believe that there is any consumer benefit that can be gained by browser integration. On a related topic: Netscape prototype is one fast browser cnn.com