[ale] Dan Gillmor on Microsoft

[George Johnson]

It does sound like a good idea to start another list with discussions on the
antics of the likes of M$.   This would be a good way to keep each other
informed on what is going on.  Discussion of issues like these is what
starts movements to counter these things and we cannot have enough of those.

george johnson

-----Original Message-----
From: Dow Hurst [mailto:dhurst at kennesaw.edu]
To: ale at ale.org
Sent: Friday, October 18, 2002 2:02 PM
To: jcphil at mindspring.com; ale at ale.org
Subject: Re: [ale] Dan Gillmor on Microsoft


We need to start a ALE-depressinglyMS mail list so those who want to get
depressed can just read that list.
dow

Jim wrote:

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>Microsoft is reporting record profits from the last quarter, which they
>attribute largely to their new, extortionary licensing scheme. I thought
>htese words from Silicon Valley columnist Dan Gillmor were worth sharing
with
>everybody on the list:
>
>Microsoft Piggy Bank Tops $40 Billion
>Posted by Dan Gillmor
>
>What happens when a monopolist raises prices? One guess.
>
>Microsoft hit the jackpot in the most recent quarter, ringing up a
staggering
>$4 billion profit on sales of $7.7 billion. I hope reporters covering this
>story note some of the subtleties, including Microsoft's strategy of not
>counting some of the profits until later years and its continual
accumulation
>of cash.
>
>As of Sept. 30, Microsoft had gone over the $40 billion mark in cash and
>short-term investments (effectively the same). Think about that -- $40
>billion.
>
>What is Microsoft going to do with this money? They can't spend it fast
enough
>internally, and the top shareholders, who control the company, refuse to
>issue dividends (this saves Bill Gates et al billions in taxes).
Prediction:
>Once Microsoft is out from under what's left of the antitrust case, it'll
go
>on a strategic investment and acquisition spree the likes of which you
cannot
>even imagine.
>
>The monopoly continues, unabated, and could even grow stronger. Innovation
is
>almost dead in desktop software, where Microsoft has sucked the financial
>oxygen out of the system. The company's behavior doesn't improve. It's no
>coincidence. Too bad we no longer have a government that's willing to
enforce
>the antitrust laws, and technology buyers who feel so trapped they won't
even
>consider alternatives. Life, circa 2002.
>
>http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/columnists/dan_gill
mor/ejournal/4307752.htm
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--
__________________________________________________________
Dow Hurst                  Office: 770-499-3428
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sent to listmaster at ale dot org.