Post #16,891
11/6/01 3:01:58 PM
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Settlement looks to be shot down
[link|http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_1640000/1640869.stm|BBC News]
It looks like MS is refusing to allow any further negotiations over the settlement, either the states take it as is or it's back to court. Apparently MS figures they are better of delaying things for another year or so in court if they can't get the settlement they want.
Jay
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Post #16,896
11/6/01 3:15:26 PM
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My workmates are aghast at my prophetic powers...
...when this first hit the news, they were all rejoicing. When the details came out, I said, simply, "It won't fly with the states. If the states balk, the whole thing comes apart."
When the first rumors came about Massachusets not signing on, the word was that "Oh, it's just one state, what can they do?" I said, "Deep-six the whole deal." Nobody believed me.
Now they are all looking to me like I'm some kind of modern-day Delphian Oracle...
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
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Post #17,062
11/6/01 10:21:22 PM
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Tell them....
"You owe the Oracle a jellybaby"
See how many get it. :)
Addison
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Post #17,128
11/7/01 11:22:26 AM
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Great.
Now my roommate is looking at me funny. I almost spewed "Talking Rain" all over the computer screen.
The question is, when do I get my Oracle-on-call Official Zotter?
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
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Post #17,205
11/7/01 4:52:12 PM
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More importantly...
...how are you going to explain Lisa to your wife?
...you owe the Oracle a non-virtual grilf (and the denizens of II will thank you, in french).
--
Karsten M. Self [link|mailto:kmself@ix.netcom.com|kmself@ix.netcom.com]
What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?
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Post #16,898
11/6/01 3:16:37 PM
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Thank goodness
Don Richards,
Proud recipient of the ABBA.
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Post #16,905
11/6/01 3:23:05 PM
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Can't get there
Host not found.
Can you post the text, or at least the juicy bits in an excerpt?
Regards,
-scott anderson
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Post #16,908
11/6/01 3:27:35 PM
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Works here.
Also, Bloomberg has a similar story [link|http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?ptitle=Top%20Financial%20News&s1=blk&tp=ad_topright_topfin&T=markets_bfgcgi_content99.ht&s2=ad_right1_topfin&bt=ad_position1_topfin&middle=ad_frame2_topfin&s=AO_hDLxXZTWljcm9z|here] and CNET [link|http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-7795116.html?tag=owv|here].
Cheers,
Scott.
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Post #16,921
11/6/01 3:54:51 PM
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California AG will not accept agreement
Or so I infer from this Wired [link|http://www.wired.com/news/antitrust/0,1551,48168,00.html|article]
The relevant bits
"California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, whose state is home to Silicon Valley, emerged as one of the harshest critics of the settlement, and charged that the last-minute lobbying campaign had "devolved from policy into finger pointing."
Lockyer added that his resolve was hardened after listening over the weekend to advice from technical experts and officials from Microsoft's competitors, including IBM, AOL Time Warner Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc. and Novell Inc.
Don Richards,
Proud recipient of the ABBA.
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Post #16,909
11/6/01 3:28:01 PM
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Modestly OT
I just received in the mail a flat from Microsoft. Inside are 30 or so pages and a CD-ROM. The package is titled, "Everything you need to know about product activation." I wonder how many guppies out there are inclined to do business with a software company that has to rationalize, er, ..., explain their licensing with 30 pages of print + CD-ROM? I am not a typical user, but I swear I'd be inclined to pitch my MS stuff on this basis alone. I mean, hell, Microsoft isn't rich enough already so they have to jack around with a "loyal customer" like me to this extent?
Funny how this deal sinking comes on the heels of a new and intrusive licensing scheme - can the PR get any worse?
bcnu,
Mikem
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Post #16,931
11/6/01 4:07:31 PM
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Negotiations ongoing
The article has changed since I posted it first.
Now they are saying that negotiations are going on behind the scenes, after the deadline. The earlier version pretty much declared the settlement dead. Apparently enough states have agreed to accept it that they are giving it one last shot.
I guess things now depend heavily on how many states reject it. I suspect that if MS/DOJ can get more then half the states to agree to the settlement they will take it to Kollar-Kotelly and try to pressure the rest into signing on.
Jay
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Post #17,054
11/6/01 9:21:05 PM
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Bill Gates pleased that 9 states are in agreement?
As just seen on CNN's ticker tape.
That means 9 states disagree?
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Post #16,951
11/6/01 4:29:45 PM
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Interesting pushover: the AG for IBM
...er, New York State.
California's opposition is virtually assured: Sun, Apple, Oracle, and possibly Intel, have reasons to dislike Microsoft, and will speak more loudly than the voice of the people.
What's very curious to me is that the word out of Armonk, er, Albany, is that the NY State AG has apparently signed on to the deal. This either means that Wall Street's winning out over IBM, or IBM has decided that they're either against a harsher settlement, or can beat MSFT otherwise.
Curious.
--
Karsten M. Self [link|mailto:kmself@ix.netcom.com|kmself@ix.netcom.com]
What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?
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Post #17,034
11/6/01 6:57:09 PM
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Re: I agree with your suspicions ...
Have felt that IBM is now about to play MS off against Sun & Oracle while IBM knows it has the bits needed to make Web Services work while MS is desperately trying to convince world its .Net strat is real.
SAP voted loudly & significantly when they recently announced that they were going with J2EE & they have no desire to piss MS off, they merely stated what will soon become obvious, MS just don't have enough of .Net inplace for large corporations & software suppliers to bet their future on + few trust MS anymore, to be honest about how good its position is. Our company is significant in this region & we have stated J2EE is our technology direction. I see it & discuss these issues regularly with regional execs from BEA (WebLogic), SilverStream, IBM etc: & MS are seen as all strategy but little tangible teachnology to back it. Even Gartner etc: are still questioning the viablity of theMS delivery.
MS needs funds to finance its vast .Net technologies - the one thing they have done well is to talk about .Net & articulate it as a strategy but filling it all in my prove more than they can handle in the time needed. To compound MS woes we have the worst downturn in business in years just when they need to wring more $ from the public.
Cheers
Doug
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Post #17,096
11/7/01 5:19:39 AM
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SFGate: Lockyer lobbied by IBM, Sun, Oracle, others
Interesting that IBM had more sway in California than their home state: [link|http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2001/11/06/state1621EST0077.DTL&type=printable|California attorney general rejects proposed Microsoft settlement] DON THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer Tuesday, November 6, 2001 Lockyer, whose state is home to Silicon Valley and many of Microsoft's fiercest competitors, said his objections to the proposed settlement were solidified over the weekend by lobbying from IBM, AOL Time Warner Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc. and Novell Inc. His statement announcing his decision specifically said stronger controls are needed to protect California businesses and consumers. Among the other rebel states is Florida. That must be an interesting story. --
Karsten M. Self [link|mailto:kmself@ix.netcom.com|kmself@ix.netcom.com]
What part of "gestalt" don't you understand?
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Post #17,008
11/6/01 6:10:02 PM
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Not dead yet
and it looks like its getting better (for MS).
Here's hoping the holdout states can really hold out.
In unrelated news, multiple MS-chartered private jets have been seen speeding and from to various small towns in Nevada....
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