Re: Issues...
A breakup creates 2 monopolies instead of one. Given Microsoft's history, that means that the monopoly abuse will just be twice as prevalent.
I don't think that's totally right, but close.
The problem is that 2 microsoft's don't have any *incentive* to behave.
5 would.
(Well, I think so).
If you break them into:
* OS (possibly into client/server)
* Internet
* Applications
* Media
* Hardware
For example, now there's much more REASON for API's to be documented.. because now there's no benefit to hiding them. (With 2, you've still got groups that benefit from having the hidden API's).
A good remedy would involve a full disclosure of windows source...making it public domain....(not NT/2000...just win9x code base) any further development of that code base could be conducted by anyone...including MS.
I'm going to have to disagree 100% here. That's a bad remedy. It doesn't "gain" you anything. Sure, now anybody can write to the old Win32 standard, and had this happend 3 years ago, maybe. But now its past that point where it would be (very) useful. So they open the old code they've abandoned, as they're moving onto the NT codebase for all client machines.
Combined with some type of licensing restriction that limits the MS ability to establish quotas on the OEMs...allowing (and quite possibly forcing) the OEM channel to offer an alternative OS upon purchase of the computer.
I don't like this, either.
My alternative would be that OEM contracts are no longer secret, and that there are a certain number of "tiers" established for discounts. So Compaq.. err. HP, knows what Dell paid for its 10k licenses. Take away the possibility of playing each other off of each other, and take away the possibility of getting the licences "yanked" (Which actually, having 5, say, companies reduces dramatically. Since all the software would be licensed individually, a OEM yanking say, Media Player wouldn't change the OS issue...).
Tie that to prices that are fixed for some amount of time, and publized (so if they drop the price to run Be out of business, oh wait, well, you get the picture) - all the OEMs can buy THEN.
And their product announcements are under restrictions like IBM was - can't talk about it until its ready to ship in 90 days ( of course, Microsoft shipping alpha code ANYWAY makes this less effective, but still would cut down some of the crap (like AD)...
And I think Microsoft's abuses would be brought far more into line.
Addison
