Microsoft Antitrust Issues

[Josh Stern <jstern@citilink.com>]

p.s. sorry for the resend - some of the previous
mail bounced due to extra-line before subject heading.



Regarding, Microsoft and anti-trust, please look at
this information:

http://www.essential.org/antitrust/ms/jun3survey.html

This is about how consumers are not only not given any
choice of OS when they buy and X86 compatible machine,
but they also have to pay a Microsoft tax whether they
want MS-Windows or not.

Frankly, I don't know enough about anti-trust law to
say whether Microsoft's contracts with OEMs that lead
to this behavior are illegal.  But it seems like
common sense that they *should be* illegal.  
If they are not, then Microsoft is just exploiting
a loophole in the law that permists other, more
legitimate business practices.  This survey shows
that the previous DOJ/Microsoft agreement to end
per-processor licensing was a complete farce.
Microsoft has found other types of contracts that
have the exact same effect.

- Josh

jstern@citilink.com
josh@pet.med.va.gov