"Markets would crumble and turn to monopolies ruled by gigantic megacorporations spreading like a cancer throughout the economy."
not really. markets continuously change through innovation. microsoft has a monopoly on the desktop. big deal. the future is the internet. google can make network appliances rock and make the desktop irrelevant. microsoft won't do so because it will be afraid of cannibalizing its cash flows from windows. being the monopolist on the desktop is actually a competitive disadvantage for the future. microsoft can't think "out of the box" so to speak.
Not really:
$748 for
2.4 Ghz celeron
XP Home
Printer
256k ram
80 GB hd
CD-RW drive
Wordperfect
17" LCD monitor
if you think the celeron doesn't compare well then switch it to a P4 2.8 ghz for 50 bucks extra
Well its microsoft's developers versus the rest of the planet's developers when it comes to open source. Their chances of winning this are pretty low so in a sense they are the underdog.
As someone that has worked in the EU government, I would say that this case is extremly politically motivated. The European Commission's DG Compitition authorities don't touch the diamond trade because they are afraid the Antwerp / London based industry will leave the EU completely. A lot of what the diamond industry does is not properly taxed by member states but that's OK because they have political clout. Europeans say the monopoly is better than not having the industry at all... which imlies that the EU would be LESS likely to fine Microsoft if it was a European company engaged in the same practices.
Regardless of whether you think MS is good or evil, please don't think the EU is an honest anti-trust body... the timing of this case might be more to do with Bush / Anti-Americanism than anything MS has done.
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Ya, why is this news? Do I really care when Microsoft does something non-evil?
"Markets would crumble and turn to monopolies ruled by gigantic megacorporations spreading like a cancer throughout the economy." not really. markets continuously change through innovation. microsoft has a monopoly on the desktop. big deal. the future is the internet. google can make network appliances rock and make the desktop irrelevant. microsoft won't do so because it will be afraid of cannibalizing its cash flows from windows. being the monopolist on the desktop is actually a competitive disadvantage for the future. microsoft can't think "out of the box" so to speak.
Not really: $748 for 2.4 Ghz celeron XP Home Printer 256k ram 80 GB hd CD-RW drive Wordperfect 17" LCD monitor if you think the celeron doesn't compare well then switch it to a P4 2.8 ghz for 50 bucks extra
Well its microsoft's developers versus the rest of the planet's developers when it comes to open source. Their chances of winning this are pretty low so in a sense they are the underdog.
Note I never said that working in "EU government" was something that requires any spelling skills (or intelligence).
As someone that has worked in the EU government, I would say that this case is extremly politically motivated. The European Commission's DG Compitition authorities don't touch the diamond trade because they are afraid the Antwerp / London based industry will leave the EU completely. A lot of what the diamond industry does is not properly taxed by member states but that's OK because they have political clout. Europeans say the monopoly is better than not having the industry at all... which imlies that the EU would be LESS likely to fine Microsoft if it was a European company engaged in the same practices. Regardless of whether you think MS is good or evil, please don't think the EU is an honest anti-trust body... the timing of this case might be more to do with Bush / Anti-Americanism than anything MS has done.