<<>> Now That's Entertainment . . . Issue # 10 [[ WARNING: The following piece contains material and/or language that may offend or not be suitable for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.]] "Microsoft...gonna have to put more emphasis on the Micro?" I'm sure you've all heard about this ordeal by now. The state is suing Microsoft, because it has finally been officially called a monopoly. For those of you who don't know (and let's hope that's not too many of you), a monopoly is when a single company has sole control over that particular industry. For example, if Kwan Industries was the only company that produced pancake syrup, then Kwan Industries would own the monopoly to pancake syrup. Under the red, white, and blue, eh, they don't particularly like that, in fact, it's illegal. Now, Microsoft doesn't per se, own the business of computer operating software, or web browsers, or anything like that. However, they have so much of a controlling share in the market, that any other company has no feasible way of competing with Microsoft. That is the whole idea behind a monopoly, the complete elimination of competition. A company can set its prices wherever it wants, and can pretty much stop progress in that particular industry. After all, the whole point, business-wise, why companies choose to put so much money into development, and coming up with fresh, new ideas, is to get themselves a bigger market share, taking customers from their direct competition. Take Coca-Cola and Pepsi for example. Both companies are always trying to one-up the other. And the "lead" so to speak, is, how do you say, polygamous. One day it's with Coke, the other it's with Pepsi. The competition is a grand thing for the consumer, that being us. Now, Microsoft has made its presense so painfully obvious in the world of personal computing, ie PC's, that there is no viable option for any company to even bother trying to compete with this multi-billion dollar company, whose owner has yet to find a half-what decent hairstylist. Maybe bad haircuts are a trademark of successful people. Look at Albert Einstein, and you'll get my point. So, some judge has decided to screw Bill Gates straight up his @$$. So, now what? What does this all mean? Well, as of right now, nothing. Nothing at all. Wny? Billy boy has managed to conjure up the most expensive lawyers he can find that have their noses buried so far up his ass that they can smell what he had for breakfast. And what? No Johnny Cochran?! But we need his Chewbacca defence (come on South Park fans, rejoice! I'm sure you remember that episode). I was flipping through the channels this afternoon, a typical Friday afternoon activity, and happened to come across this story on CNN Moneyline. Sad as this may sound, it almost, just about, but not quite, interested me. They talked about stocks, and how Intel got screwed over by some Joe that said their stock is a bad idea in the short term, then the story of Bill Gates came up. What they said, was that this case could last anywhere from a few months, if Microsoft decides to go soft, and give in, bantering over a settlement....to a few years. The guy actually said that this could go well into 2002. Scary how long a case can last when only, just a few billion dollars and the fasting up and coming industry are on the line. Bah! Chump change. If Microsoft does decide to go for the settlement, the low road, I'm guessing one of two things could happen. Well, Microsoft could be forced to become a bunch of smaller companies, as it started. After all, Gates has gone on a bit of a buying-out spree the past few years, don't ya think? He buys out this small company, and that small business, and let's nip this family owned software company in the bud before it can blossom. Microsoft, has in essense, bought the industry. So, maybe the state will make them..sell it back out. I don't know. Or, or, the state could force Microsoft to kind of have a price floor. Microsoft, as of right now, is more or less giving away their software for free. Everytime you buy an IBM or IBM-compatible, what operating system do you have on there? Let's see here, on mine, it was Windows 95. What about yours? 'Xactly. So, they might disallow that, and give the consumer a choice, between Microsoft's brand of Windows or Dos or whatever... versus generic brand A and generic brand B. Something along those lines. To some of you, this probably bored the hell out of you. To the rest of you, you probably didn't read beyond the hunger site header. Either way, I thought I'd get my opinion across on a current event, and what better current event, than something that pertains to what company I'm putting dollars in their backside right now. What product I'm using right now. Bill Gates, the man that decided to drop out of Harvard (?) goes on and becomes damn near the richest man on the face of god's green earth. We may not like his trim, but you gotta give props, gotta give this guy credit where credit's due. Besides, what's wrong with a monopoly? All of us always wanted Park Place and Boardwalk. ============================ © 1999 Michael Kwan. Reproduction, exhibition or distribution of the preceeding piece without the expressed written consent of the author(s) can result in severe criminal and civil penalties under international agreements. Note: As always, if you wish to be removed from this mailing list, feel free to email me at flawless316@usa.net and let me know. 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