> fact Microsoft has been caught using it's monopoly to shut
> other products out of the marketplace. This has nothing to do
> with building a better product, it has to do with business
> practices that make competition impossible. For instance,
> with Dell, Gateway, and HP, computer manufacturers were not
> allowed to pre-install Netscape, Real Media, AOL, etc. per
> their purchase agreements for Windows, effectively shutting
> down access to this software for millions of individuals. And
> remember how hard it was to switch from IE as your default
> browser? Maybe not for you and me, but for a less
> sophisticated user it was almost impossible.
>
> Again, the problem is not that Microsoft has a popular
> operating system or that software manufacturers all have some
> entry into the Web of M$ desktop applications. The problem is
> that Microsoft uses its popularity to shut other companies
> down through exclusive licensing agreements, technical
> design, and "integrated" applications that run by default.
I certainly do not deny that MS has done this - the question is whether it
is illegal (or should be). You say that Dell, etc, were not allowed to
pre-install Netscape. How? Because of their agreement with MS? Why did they
agree to it then? They had the right to fight against MS just like anyone
else does.
-rc
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