RE: No Microsoft Breakup

> [Jim Damato says]: I wonder if we agree
> that bundling/integrating by itself is not cause for an anti-trust suit.

I for one strongly agree - bundling/integrating is just a way to attract
customers and I do not think that this is a problem in itself. Provided
that customer and other businesses have a choice.
It becomes a problem if monopoly does this - it can and will wipe out
entire businesses.
There are things which monopolies should not be allowed to do and in my
opinion this is what anti-trust laws are all about.

>How's this:

> If Linux or Mac/OS or OS/2 had thrived as viable, competitive
alternatives
> to Windows, would it still be wrong for Microsoft to impose their
standard,
> integrated/bundled browser on their platform?

No, I think in a described case they should be allowed to do this.

> Or this:

> Given the current situation of Microsoft dominance, what will happen
when/if
> Microsoft SQL is integrated into the Windows platforms?  If it severely
> impacts Oracle's market presence, is there cause for an anti-trust suit?

Yes, I think Oracle and other DB vendors will have big problem, to say the
least. And Microsoft should not be allowed to do this.

> Or this:

> Hypothetically,  what if IBM decides to embed source/object
cross-reference
> into SEU and PDM and provide it for "free" as a part of that set of
licensed
> products?  As a result, competitive products from Hawkeye, ASC, etc.
become
> moot.  Is there cause for an anti-trust suit?  Does it matter if IBM did
> this to logically extend the licensed product, or if they did it because
> they wanted ASC and Hawkeye out of their way in the middleware market?

This is more difficult question. IBM is not a monopoly, but can be
considered as a kind of monopoly in this particular market...
However, I think that Hawkeye etc make their products not only for OS/400,
even if they do, they can potentially diversify to other platforms.
Whereas in a browser situation Netscape does not have any place to go...
even potentially...

Alexei Pytel - speaking only for myself