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

To: John Carpenter who wrote (22354)	5/7/1999 8:02:00 PM
From: RTev	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74651

Personally speaking, I find myself spending increasingly more time on line and increasingly less time using MSFT software. I'm sure you're not alone. I do the same -- except that I use Microsoft software extensively when I'm online since I ususally use Windows and IE. I agree with your points about web businesses, but I'm not sure I agree that the ISP business is a vital part of that. Consider companies like Yahoo, Amazon, or EBay. They don't own a single modem for their businesses, but have managed to do very well indeed. Microsoft's net business seems to be much closer to that model. I don't think they don't need the ISP to be successful. What they need is a sustained marketing campaign for their net properties. Indeed, it seems that MSN Internet Access confuses the marketing of MSN. Perhaps they need a new name for the ISP business if they're going to keep it. And is it profitable? I doubt it. I've never seen a breakdown, but I suspect that WCOM collects much of the subscriber fee since they maintain the expensive net plumbing used for the service.