Re: Should the Fed Gov break up Microsoft?

["Anon" <anonymous@cotse.com>]

This message was posted anonymously:

There are such things as natural monopolies and for the
most part they're left alone.  Some, that are disappearing,
include phone and power service (in some states you can get
your electrical power from the co. of your choice.) In the
case of Microsoft, there's enough evidence of the company
strong-arming manufacturers to include their product, as
well as other unfair business practices to warrant, I
think, the anti-trust case.  If I walk into a computer
store, do I have the choice of getting a machine installed
with, say, Opera for my browser, or BeOS for the operating
system, or even Linux.  Nope.  It's Microsoft or nothing.
Yes, I know I can install afterwards, but the point is that
most people don't have that knowledge and take what they're
given.  Which is, IMHO, a sometimes poorly written, badly
structured product.  At high prices.  If Microsoft wanted
to compete fairly, then the stores would give people their
choice, and MS products would be loaded THEN if wanted!
Penman