Doing the Math in the Microsoft Anti-Trust Cases

coupland writes "Bob Cringely has posted this week's column and has made some interesting comments. He says that regardless of what happens in the EU, DOJ, and class-action proceedings, Microsoft can't lose. Why? Because they make more money by paying lip-service to the law and accepting the occasional fine than by complying. He even does some simple math to prove his point. Fascinating stuff."

Comments

Re:I did the math

[NanoGator]

"2K is barely usable and XP is a joke (IMHO :)"

Those of us that use XP and 2k would not agree with you. They are both a hell of a lot more stable than Win95/98/SE/ME. 2K in particular is very popular with 3D artists who couldn't bear to lose a render to a crash.

Summary

[DarkHelmet]

No need to read the article. Here is what it says in short.

• Microsoft is too big to care about any small-time financial punishment that a government deals out to them, since they still profit heavily in the end.
• Any ruling the DOJ gives Microsoft doesn't mean that Microsoft has to comply to it. This is much like giving somebody who steals 1,000,000 dollars a 1,000 fine, but not force them to give the money back.
• That Cringely guy really likes geometry.

Maybe it's me, but that article was waay too long winded to state the obvious: As long as Microsoft can turn a profit after any sort of penalities given them, they have no motovation to comply to any sort of antitrust regulation.

That, and that Pulpit guy likes Geometry.