Re: [PLUG] MS Outlaws?

[Jim Foster <jif@computer.org>]

If I put a gun to your head and demand your money, you still have a choice 
whether or not you comply.  If you choose to not give me the money then you 
will be dead.   If Dell didn't comply with Microsoft's demands then they 
wouldn't be able to sell computers with the Windows OS.  As 99+% of buyers 
demand this OS, they would effectively be put out of business.  The Dell 
Computer Corp. would be dead.  As their first responsibility is to their 
shareholders, they had no choice but to comply with the demand.  It's not 
like they could reasonably expect to say no and stay in business.

I read last week that Microsoft is still up to the same tricks.  This time 
it's with Sony:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/24096.html



At 03:24 PM 2/19/2002 -0500, you wrote:
> You have not described any coercive act by anybody.
>
> You make choices about whether you are willing to do business with me, or
> anybody else, and under what circumstances.
> I make choices about whether I'm willing to do business with you, or
> anybody else, and under what circumstances.
> BeOS makes choices about whether they are willing to do business with you
> or me, or anybody else, and under what circumstances.
> Dell makes choices about whether they are willing to do business with you
> or me, or anybody else, and under what circumstances.
> Microsoft makes choices about whether they are willing to do business with
> you or me, or anybody else, and under what circumstances.
>
> If two people and/or companies who might do business are not BOTH willing,
> then that particular business will not be conducted.  Where is the
> coercion in any of this?

--
Jim Foster - jif "at" computer.org   http://www.voicenet.com/~jfoster
"Being on a Beemer and not having a wave returned by a         ICQ 
679709
Sportster is like having a clipper ship's hailing not    RAM 2500 Cummins
returned by an orphaned New Jersey solid waste barge." -OTL '91 K100RS16V



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