Does Microsoft Cause Lower Software Prices?

AngusSF writes "OK, slashdotters, , so is this FEE article Antitrust Benefits Consumers? It Just Ain't So! true?" AngusSF quotes from the article: "... as Stan Leibowitz and Steve Margolis have shown in their book, Winners, Losers and Microsoft, in virtually any market that Microsoft has entered (financial software, spreadsheets, etc.), the effect has been a dramatic reduction in prices and an expansion of output and innovation. Software products that do not compete with Microsoft's products fell in price by 12 percent from 1988 to 1995, but by 60 percent where there was competition from Microsoft.", and writes "I'd really like to see some on-line evidence of this. Has Microsoft competition in office suites really cut prices there?"

Comments

Re:Of Course the do

[teece]

Now I remember why I never post on Slashdot: direct observation of the way monopolies work: that's zealotry. (So what's the zealot part, anyway? That is SOP for a monopoly: lower prices to the point that no one can compete with the monopolists other-market subsidized price. No zealotry there, just a straightforward description. Is MS a monopoly? Convicted in a court of law for that crime. Seems like as a good a definition as any of 'monopolist.')

Bullshit statements completely removed from the thing we like to call "reality:" that's insightful

Oy vey...