Microsoft's Rebuttal to DoJ

Deathlizard writes "CNet News.com reports that Microsoft has released their Rebuttal to the Findings of Fact. The full Rebuttal text can be found Here."

Comments

Interesting things

[Frodo]

Interesting things here are that:

1. Windows 98 Is a Single, Integrated Product.

That's true indeed. MSIE is now no more than a GUI wrapper to a set of objects for talking HTTP, displaying HTML, etc., etc. That was a clever move, and a silly move was to include this thing in a monopoly lawsuit.

2. The Alleged Tie Does Not Foreclose a Substantial Amount of Sales of the Tied Product

And here we all can cry "lie!". I'm sure most of users won't bother to d/l netscape if they have a working IE (there were times when IE was hardly working, but it did improve - it is now working in about 90% of cases and in 99.9% of cases that Netscape is working). And the fact is that IE is better than Netscape, at least for now. I'm really dissatisfied with my Netscape on Unix, and would change it to a better product, if such one was available. Maybe Opera? Mozilla, which is in permanent pre-alpha? What?
In fact, would MS care to make MSIE cross-platform, it could be a web-browser monopoly indeed. But they left the niche to competitors - which failed miserably. Too bad for us.

3. Plaintiffs Failed To Prove That There Is a Dangerous Probability That Microsoft Will Achieve Monopoly Power in the Alleged Market for Web Browsing Software. and Microsoft Does Not Have the Power To Control Prices or Exclude Competition in the Relevant Market.

Huh, this is plain silly. They not "will achieve", they "had achieved", if we talk about Windows market. And other markets would be the same if they'd care to do them. And if they, having 90% of desktop OS market, still have no power to control the market, then who has, indeed? But they aruments of why they aren't monopoly are really amazing. Not only they refer to grocery stores analogy, they say they can't raise price on Windows because they can't restrict total output of the market of OSes... As if it is possible at all to restrict number of copies of Windows, given that lovely CD-Rs :) Application of middle-age law to a current technical level could be really funny, if they'd not take it so seriously.

Re:But...

[Darchmare]

Interesting argument. I can see it now:

"This car is nice, but... It looks just like the other one over there."

"Oh, no, ignore that. They copied our design. Besides, our car NEVER crashes, and is much easier to use. Just look at this interior, the seats, the wheel. That one is obviously a knock-off."

"Are you sure? I thought it came out in 1984? I heard your model didn't come out until a few years..."

"HEY! Look at this, this car's radio is really great. It works best with the MS Radio station standard - a vast improvement on the current, old standard. No other player can do the things ours can."

"Really? I didn't know there was such thing as MS Radio"

"There isn't. We're working on that."

"Oh, well... Can I replace it with another radio?"

"Sorry, you can't remove the radio. It's an integral part of the vehicle. We make a similar radio for a couple of other kinds of cars, but in the Super Deluxe car it must stay."

"Oh"

"We'd help you remove it, but really, it will break everything. You see, the structure of the car is built around it. Of course, this was done purely by accident - we didn't at all think it'd be a good idea to design a way for other radios to be used as well. Oh well, it's too late now."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Anyhow, here are your keys. Please enjoy your drive home. While you're at it, here's $40. Could you write a nice little letter to the editor about how much you like our cars? Thanks!"



"By the way, the swelling should go down in a few days. A soft cushion and some Preperation H, and you'll be good as new. I hope it was as good for you as it was for me - we sure do love to innovate!"


- Jeff A. Campbell
- VelociNews (http://www.velocinews.com)