aditional antitrust law. Maybe an extension of the law or a change to it. Microsoft’s competitors might not be ready for new legal precedents that bring the bully under control. Why? Because the tactics that Microsoft is getting hammered for are common practice in the PC industry. Bare knuckles is what it’s all about, and has been for a long, long time. Before this assignment I had previously read other books about the history of the Silicon Valley, Netscape, Apple, and the computer industry in general. In every story line the “blood and guts” and “cut throat tactics” theme prevailed. It’s just that in this case, we are being given a more public look inside one company – Microsoft. If we looked inside another company would it be all that different? If Microsoft is a monopolist, then so is Intel and Intuit. If the rules are changed it will certainly be different for everyone.Microsoft is accused of having a monopoly in operating systems, and using that clout to push browser software companies out of business by bundling its browser with the operating system. Judge Jackson has likened Microsoft to the Standard Oil at the turn of the 20th century. Standard Oil controlled 90 percent of the oil market, including its distribution and shipping, and was broken up for pushing competition out of business. However, the products are so different in nature, the industries the companies are competing in so different, and the very facts pertaining to the control of their respective industries are only vaguely comparable. To begin with, the products by their nature are completely different, and this affects the "monopoly" designation. Standard Oil's monopoly was in oil. The nature of that product is that the consumer continually buys it to fuel their car, oil their machines, and so forth. Microsoft's operating system does not need to be continually purchased. As such, Microsoft is faced with the added hur...
