Re: [PLUG] MS Outlaws? (was Fwd: CG: Windows XP warning)

["Arthur S. Alexion" <arthur@alexion.com>]

At 12:42 AM 2/18/2002 -0500, you wrote:
> paul@dpagin.net wrote:
> >> Microsoft also violated § 1 of the Sherman Act by unlawfully tying
> >> its Web browser to its operating system.
> >
> >Isn't this what Konquerer is moving toward?  And what was
> >that other Linux product that emulates Outlook?
>
> Although at first glance a comparison between this open-source tool and
> its closed-source counterpart seems a bit absurd, these kind of design
> decisions are already taking place in Konqueror.

The distinction between KDE and associated projects, including Konqueror 
and KMail, and MS, and IE and Outlook, goes beyond the not for profits 
status.  Part of the MS decision was based on the virtual monopoly the MS 
has on the desktop computer OS.  In that it controls the OS, it thereby 
controls the browser and Outlook (reminds me of the old Certs commercial: 
is it a bad eMail client, or a bad PIM?  Why, its BOTH!) markets.  Since 
KDE does not even have a monopoly on the Linux environment, let alone the 
entire PC market, its inclusion and special support for its browser and 
eMail client cannot be an exercise of its (non-existent) monopoly power.

(Monopolies are not considered evil, in and of themselves.  A lot of 
utilities are *regulated* monopolies.  It is their anti competitive use of 
their monopoly position which makes them evil.  In theory, it is the 
regulation of certain legal monopolies, like utilities, that prevent them 
from taking advantage of the consumer through their monopoly power.)

Art



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Art Alexion                                 mailto:arthur@alexion.com
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