[link|http://news.com.com/2100-1001-849845.html|Biting the hand that pushes them around]

Excerpt:

WASHINGTON--Nine states still pursuing an antitrust case against
Microsoft will call executives from Palm and Gateway to testify in
court hearings to help make their case for severe sanctions against
the company, according to a court filing this week.

The states, who have refused to sign on to a settlement between Microsoft
and the U.S. Justice Department, listed executives from the two companies
among more than a dozen witnesses they plan to call during hearings set to
begin on Aug. 11 on what sanctions should be imposed on Microsoft,
according to pre-trial statements filed with U.S. District Judge Colleen
Kollar-Kotelly.

Anthony Fama, a group counsel for Gateway, will testify "that the states'
proposed remedy is necessary to prevent Microsoft from continuing to favor
personal computer manufacturers who support Microsoft's products, to the
disadvantage of personal computer manufacturers who do not," the
dissenting states said in their court filing Friday.

Fama "will testify that Microsoft's Proposed
Remedy does not prohibit this behavior," the states
said.

In addition, Michael Mace, chief competitive officer
of Palm, will testify that Microsoft "has attempted
to block Palm's development through anti-competitive actions
such as blocking access to Microsoft's development tools,"
the dissenting states said.

I say:

Might doesn't make right, but sometimes right makes might. That which doesn't quite kill its victims may make them stronger. More organized, more unified, more courageous. Who will write the history books on Microsoft? And no, Encarta doesn't count. Yet.

Microsoft's problem is that it's more of a parasite than a predator. It can afford to kill its potential competitors, but it can't afford to kill its hosts. It anaesthetises us with hype and then bleeds us almost, but not quite, dry. Palm is a potential competitor that hasn't died just yet, but Gateway is a host, or at least a middleman to the ultimate hosts, who are the users. When the hosts fight back, things get complicated.

Microsoft is like a vast population of mosquitos. We've been swatting them for years, but it's not enough. Time to drain the swamp.