Re: Score one for Microsoft

["Erick Andrews" <eandrews@star.net>]

On Tue, 8 Dec 1998 08:00:23 -0500, Norm wrote:

>On Mon, 7 Dec 1998 16:21:41 -0500, Joel Simons Sys_Admin wrote:
>
>>
>>This is an unfortunate development.
>>
>>
>>http://cnnfn.com/digitaljam/9812/07/microsoft/
>>
>>
>>NEW YORK (CNNfn) - South Carolina's attorney
>>            general Monday said the state has withdrawn from
>>            the federal antitrust suit against Microsoft Corp. 
>>               State attorney general Charlie Condon said the
>>            recent merger of America Online Inc. (AOL) and
>>            Netscape Communications Corp. (NSCP) offered
>>            evidence that competition is thriving in the computer
>>            industry. 
>>               "I can no longer justify our continued
>>            involvement or the expenditure of state resources on
>>            a trial that has been made moot by the actions of the
>>            competitive marketplace," Condon said in a
>>            statement. "The Internet economy is the place
>>            where the winners and the losers of this competition
>>            will rightfully be decided."
>>               In May, the Justice Department and 20 states
>>            sued Microsoft for illegally maintaining a monopoly
>>            in the computer operating systems market and trying
>>            to extend that monopoly into Internet software.
>>               Microsoft (MSFT) shares were up 2 at 129-3/8
>>            in midday trading.  
>
>
>     IMO all this shows is that Mr Condon doesn't have a clue about
>what the real issues are.  Even if we were to *ASS*U*ME* that AOL's
>Netscape buyout will increase competition in the browser market (not
>that there's any evidence that it will, and depending on what AOL does
>with the browser it could just as easily hurt or completely destroy
>competition) the so-called 'browser war' is *ONLY* a symptom of a
>pattern of behavior.  To borrow from another phrase; "It's not the
>browser stupid!".
>
>--
> ...Cheers,
>
> ...Norm
>
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>

I suspect that the major reason that South Carolina pulled out
is for lack of resources.  That is, no bucks to stay the course.

Erick