[Am-info] Microsoft: From breakup to hand-slap

[Erick Andrews]

On Tue, 27 Nov 2001 13:48:46 -0800 (PST), Bill Forrest wrote:

>See:
>
>http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/zd/20011127/tc/microsoft_from_breakup_to_hand-slap_1.html
>
>=====
>

That's an interesting article but not the whole story.

The breakup of AT&T did create the MCI's, Sprints, 10-10-3XX's and
others that have survived to this day.  There remains competition in
this part of the larger Telecommunication's Market despite the RHC's
and BOC's impending reassimilation into Liquid Metal Man.  Yet 
consumers and technological advance have benefited for more than a 
decade.

The IBM case from this perspective was beneficial, for a while at least,
after their Consent Decree:  the unbundling of much hardware and software, 
which allowed the Telex's, Third Party Maintainers, Amdahl's, and the like
to offer significant [mostly business] consumer relief through competition.

None of this has happened with Microsoft.  Zilch.  

There could have been more 'remedies' than just a breakup; I think a breakup
plus critically needed conduct remedies, but no one on the plaintiff side
could garner enough critical mass.  Now, several states no longer want to go the
extra mile to right wrongs that I believe they think are still there.  And
MS got "lucky" once again with a new DOJ plus the demise of the WTC in 
September with all its economic ramifications.

If you read the economist's white paper that Ms. Rohm made available I
know you can only come to the conclusion that MS's strategy continues to be
"Corporate Jamming", prevention of Class Action fungibility, and, as 
someone here mentioned (Dan S.?), is on a path to leverage their illegal
monopoly by hijacking ALL of basic school education.

-- 
Erick Andrews