Re: What they're up to

[Mitch Stone <mstone@vc.net>]

  In reply to Gene Gaines's message sent 11/26/97 3:58 PM:
  
  >I question your comparison of Microsoft to AT&T.
  >
  >As a communications manager, and a competitor, as a user, I
  >have had many problems with AT&T.  Let's look at AT&T a few years
  >ago when they were a monopoly.  In my view, AT&T remains the most
  >service-minded large corporation in the world.  Their innovations
  >are legion.  The highest quality products.  The highest quality
  >service.  Perfect?  No. 
  >
  >Microsoft engages in dishonest and illegal business practices.
  >They focus on positioning to kill competition, not on innovation,
  >not on quality.  Then they wrap their product with a License
  >Agreement which essentially disavows any responsibility for meeting
  >specifications, for performance, even for merchantability.
  >
  >During the monopoly years, AT&T focus was on making the highest
  >quality network in the world.
  >
  >Since its encounter with Gary Kildall, Microsoft focus has been on
  >body count.
  
  I certainly don't accuse AT&T of anything illegal, immoral or fattening. 
  But as someone who lived through the monopoly days of the telephone 
  industry, I can can recall a certain level of indifference to the captive 
  consumer. I imagine we all can. There the similarity between Microsoft 
  and the pre-breakup AT&T ends.
  
     Mitch Stone
  +---
     In the time it takes me to boot up my Windows 95 PC in the
     morning, Big Bill's portfolio gains a cool million or so 
     in value. The crime of it all seems obvious to no one but me.
                                      -- Skinny DuBaud, CNET
  
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