Mr May:
>
>
>You also have no appreciation of the concept of "initiation of
>force." The break up of Microsoft is initiation of force. Period.
The ordered breakup of Microsoft is no more an "initiation of
force" than any of the times microsoft filed dubious lawsuits against
smaller companies with shallower pockets.
While I don't believe that the government has either moral or
constitutional authority to break the company up, nor do I believe
that what they are doing is good for either the industry, or for
consumers[1], I really can't say that I feel sorry for Microsoft.
They have played fast and loose with the laws for years, and they
have used and manipulated the legal system for their own ends
numerous times. What comes around goes around.
Yes, Apple and Sun are just as guilty (or nearly as guilty)
as Microsoft in this respect. Yes, it is probable that Intel is as
well. But it is really hard not to be at least a little please when a
known bully gets the shit kicked out of him. The only thing tempering
the joy is that a bigger bully did it. That, and:
[1] I seriously doubt this whole thing had anything to do with what
was "best for the consumer". It really does appear that the main
reason the goverment went after Gates/Microsoft was that others in
the industry (Sun, Netscape, etc.) started playing the politics and
lobbying game, and Microsoft didn't. They "greedily" kept their
profits to themselves instead of "investing" it in government.
p.s. Please excuse any cruft in the quoting in this document, 2 weeks
ago my power mac laptop died, and until my new machine gets in I'm
working off an old Quadra. The version of Eudora installed on this
machine doesn't seem to act quite the same as the one installed on
the powerbook, and since it's very temporary and slower than molasses
in Reno's heart (and almost as shaky as her hands) I haven't been all
that enthused about trying to configure it as properly as I could.
Oh--and the machine I am replacing the powerbook with? G4 Power Mac.
I never believed in the Microsoft Monopoly theory.
