Microsoft attempts secret settlement with Feds?

Mike McCune wrote in to tell us that news.com has an article that says that Three weeks ago, Microsoft had secret meetings with DOJ in attempt to settle case. Here's a WSJ story that requires a subscription, but has more details. Not much data there tho. They still expect a resolution before the end of the year.

Comments

Re:Why settle? M$ is still at it...

[Fizgig]

No, it's actually worse than that. They're offering it for $8 per year!

Stop moderating this post up!!!

[Fizgig]

It's illegal and can only serve to get Slashdot in trouble. The least we can do is demote it.

Re:Microsoft wants out.

[dmorin]

Microsoft hasn't settled yet because they walked into the trial thinking that they were better and more powerful than the government. Remember the exchange in which Jackson ordered them to remove IE from Windows, so they proceeded to produce a crippled version of Windows? Jackson said "Are you standing here telling me that you assumed I was ordering you to produce a product that doesn't work?" and the MS guy said "Yes."

That original agreement, what was it 94 or something, demonstrated that MS completely screwed the Feds and the customers and produced a "settlement" that continued to give MS exactly what it wanted. They likely started this trial assuming they'd get to do the same thing -- there were talks of early settlements. Sounds like the government has done much, much better this time around.

(It also helps that MS shot itself in the foot numerous times, and that Boies has done a great job destroying every witness MS has presented.)

Re:Why settle? M$ is still at it...

[HoserHead]

I don't know about in Korea, but here in Canada prices for MS office 2000 are, to say the least, prohibitive. The version my computer science teacher got through his son, who works at Microsoft, for $80, costs about $700. The "Professional", which cost him $100, is about $1200. I don't want to think about the developer's edition.

When Microsoft themselves can offer it for $80, you have to wonder what their margin of profit is. I'd put good money that they're still making money off the $80 and $100 versions.

CNNfn has a similar story (?)

[pingouin]

Dunno what the WSJ article sez, but fn has a brief "secret talks" story here.

--

Remember when

[Gregg M]

Remember when the trial started up. Ziff Davis was saying the government was going up against the "best and brightest" and that they would have a very hard time winning a battle much less the war.
HA!
MS got their ass kicked at every turn! Even their allies said they were scared of them. Disney even said they bullied them! How about all the screw ups like "leaked documents" and video evidence. The best stuff came from Microsoft own e-mail.
Dammed good entertainment

I'll be sorry to see it go.