Old wine in new bottles

["P.A. Petricone" <petrico@ixc.net>]

The more I learn about this settlement, the more it looks like ms
technically snookered DOJ into letting them leave the ie code on the
OSR2 system with it's buttons hidden, at least for the option that most
OEMs will elect to use. If the default file associations stay in place,
the first click on a html, gif, or jpj file that may have come with the
machine or 3rd party app - off she goes! There are some 200+ ie specific
files sitting there waiting for an opportunity to break something.

What DOJ should be looking for is a clear application distinction in the
form of a setup procedure, as distinct as for the ISP that one intends
to use. Build a simple initial setting and RE-setting procedure for any
and all functions, associations, plug-ins, helpers, favorite/bookmarked
URLs, mail, news etc., or any information stored or accumulated in the
course of use of the Internet, to be available to any desired
application that needs to make use of that information. That would be
parity. That's OS-like. Off with these install de-install aftermarket
gizmos. For all I have seen, they generally make matters worse over
time.

What to do about all that click-on real estate promised and paid for, or
ie dependency linkage bludgeoned into developers apps? Too bad - an
indication in and of itself of restraint of trade against third party
providers of the same function. All everyone wants is access to the
services. Let them come up with a way for the system to give anyone's
browse tools the same services or opportunities that ie has.

If they are reluctant to support an open system, how about if ms was
just given a choice of closing up the whole works - all ms? That is
where it is heading, anyway. No third party apps. There would be pain
and readjustment for developers, no doubt, but the ports to other OS
platforms would be swift and it would happen all at once instead of the
slow attrition after all the value has been squeezed out of them.

But all this may just slow down Heather's hopes... :)...

Which in many ways, already exists.

-pap