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

To: Paul Reuben who wrote (17459)	3/8/1999 9:05:00 PM
From: t2	Respond to of 74651

Paul, I feel very happy and confident at this point. Thanks for additional news.

To: Paul Reuben who wrote (17459)	3/8/1999 11:05:00 PM
From: puborectalis	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

Microsoft, DOJ talks reported By CNET News.com Staff March 8, 1999, 6:25 p.m. PT Microsoft and the Justice Department are reportedly exploring possible avenues that could lead to a settlement of their federal antitrust case before the trial resumes after a six-week recess. According to a Seattle Times report, a source close to the case estimated "a 60 percent chance of a settlement." But the newspaper also said a person close to Microsoft played down that projection because the two sides had widely differing assessments of the trial. "It makes sense to explore settlement discussions," the newspaper quoted one source as saying. Brad Smith, Microsoft general counsel, said he would not comment on whether any settlement negotiations were under way in the dispute between his company and the Justice Department (DOJ). He would say only that, "obviously, there were discussions before the antitrust case was filed a year ago." The possibility of negotiations was a natural question after today's surprise announcement of a preliminary agreement in the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust case against Intel. Microsoft and Intel are de facto partners in the so-called Wintel juggernaut of Windows software and Intel microprocessors that dominates today's PC market. But publicly, at least, Microsoft did its best to contrast the two legal cases. Smith said Intel's case is more closely related to an earlier Microsoft proceeding, which resulted in a 1994 settlement over how it handled the licensing of the Windows operating system to PC makers. The current case, he said, relates more to product development. The government alleges that Microsoft pushed its own Internet browser to gain unfair advantage in the market. "We view our situation as our situation," chief operating officer Robert Herbold said. "We're going to do what's right for our consumers, and I don't believe you should think it affects our basic thinking." Reuters contributed to this report.