Re: Book on Microsoft

["Matt Deatrick" <mattd@shocking.com>]

	From an economic standpoint, which is what I am basing my current honors
research paper on, M$ looks good. That doesn't mean they ARE good, however.
What it means is that, at least currently, the operation of the software
market is efficient. this, however, can be misleading due to the limits of
economic analysis. That means that economic analysis in many ways ignores
what is truly important: choice, consumer "happiness"(called utility in
economics- and it is impossible to realistically model), and anything not
operating within the framework of a market is excluded. That is to say that
you and I not oprating as suppliers or demanders within a market will not
be counted. The only way to get that sort of information is through
extrapolation of an intuitive sort: asking the question "what is it
reasonable to assume based on what we do know?" 
	What all of the economic models show without any doubt is that competition
is good for markets. It forces the heralded efficiency economists look for.
And to put it bluntly, history is on our side against M$. Looking at the
history of antitrust suits in the 20's-40's I discovered an interesting
fact: all of the companies which won their case against the governemnt were
actually made worse off, I suppose from the lack of competition. The
companies broken up by the governemnt were made more efficient and were
better able to compete with market changes. Is that something along the
lines of what you were looking for?
	Matt

----------
> From: Milton Ponson <level.seven@setarnet.aw>
> To: Multiple recipients of list AM-INFO <am-info@essential.org>
> Subject: Book on Microsoft
> Date: Tuesday, March 31, 1998 9:09 AM
> 
> Dear all,
> 
> Two weeks ago I got some reply from some of the subscribers to this list
> willing to cooperate on a consumer guide/book on Microsoft.
> 
> Would all that replied earlier pls provide some feedback.
> 
> I have in the meantime rearranged all my activities both commercial and
> non-commercial to allow me time to work on this project.
> 
> Milton Ponson
> level.seven@setarnet.aw