Microsoft warns Wall Street

[Mitch Stone <mstone@vc.net>]

Has anyone snagged a copy of this letter? As an exercise in FUD it looks 
like a dud, but these "broad, negative consequences" quotes are just so 
darned collectible.

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http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/content/zdnn/0504/312889.html 

Microsoft warns Wall Street 
By Margaret Kane, ZDNN 
May 4, 1998 5:59 AM PDT 

As Microsoft Corp. goes, so goes the economy, was the warning implicit in 
a letter fired off by the company to Wall Street last night. 

Microsoft's letter warned the a delay of its Windows 98 operating system, 
due next month, could have "broad, negative consequences not just for 
Microsoft but for the entire PC industry." 

Possible antitrust action from several states and the DOJ will affect 
both vendors and users. 

The letter, authored by Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Greg Maffei, 
was sent to about 150 stock analysts, software companies, and venture 
capitalists. It appears to be part of a continuing public relations 
campaign by the company to ward off anti-trust threats. 

A group of states is expected this week to file suit against the company, 
charging it with violations of anti-trust statutes. Last week, a group of 
PC company executives wrote the U.S. Department of Justice on the 
company's behalf, asking the government not to block the release. 

Maffei said in the letter that he wanted to "outline the possible 
financial ramifications of such regulatory action." 

PC companies, software resellers, and independent software vendors would 
all be hurt by a delay, Maffei said. because so much effort and money has 
already been spent in anticipation of the software release. 

However, analysts have said that Windows 98 is not expected to as much of 
a driver in PC sales compared to its precursor, Windows 95. 

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   Mitch Stone
   Editor, Boycott Microsoft
   http://www.vcnet.com/bms 
 +---
   It's Microsoft versus mankind with Microsoft having 
   only a slight lead. --- Larry Ellison, CEO, Oracle Corp.