Re: Common carriers Re: A letter to Joe

Mark Baker (distobj@acm.org)
Tue, 19 May 1998 19:59:47 +0000


Jeff Bone wrote:
> I really don't see what everyone gets so up in arms about --- either the
> laws were broken or they weren't; either Microsoft has achieved its
> dominant position through superior product / business practices or
> through illegal anticompetitive practices. The court will provide what
> everyone and every company in this country is entitled to --- a fair
> trial.

IMHO, it doesn't matter how they came to have the monopoly they
currently enjoy. What matters is they currently have it.

Ron said:
> If there's one thing I think MS is absolutely correct about,
> and in many ways ahead of the market on, it's this issue
> that OS=the network.

Most definitely. No disagreement here. But as I've said before,
I believe the issue is *bundling*, not technical *integration*.

If there's any reason why the browser can't be plugged-in
to the OS (and therefore separately delivered), I'd like to
know it.

MB

-- 
Mark Baker, CTO, Beduin Communications Corp.
Ottawa, CANADA         http://www.beduin.com