Comments on: Quickies: Microsoft, Dimmer, Churchill, New Eng

Not until Palm begins to ship with its own software: for example, if palm devices shipped with a Wordsmith Substitute, a palm web browser, an avantgo-like software, etc... then you could accuse them for eliminating from users the need to find more software. But as it is now, you buy the palm, they provide the unit plus the OS, you get the software elsewhere.

Having a monopoly is NOT illegal. However, it IS illegal to use a monopoly to unfairly compete against other companies. Being good at what you do isn't illegal. Underhand tricks and threats are.

There is nothing wrong with Microsoft or Palm selling more of their products than any of their competitors do. What IS wrong is when Microsoft told PC makers that they had to pay the fee to put Windows on every computer they sold, whether Windows was actually on that computer or not. If the PC maker refused, Microsoft threatened to no longer sell them Windows at all.

This isn't a cause for debate. Microsoft has been found guilty of anti-competitive practices in a U.S. court of law. All that's happening now is the decision of how much Microsoft is going to be punished. The DOJ wants to let them off easy because of all the money the Republican party gets from Microsoft. The nine state attorneys general aren't so easily bought off.

Yes, but palm "BUNDLES" the Address App, Datebook App, Memo App, ToDo App, etc. I think that this "BUNDLING" of these Apps INTO the OS is a violation of Anti-Trust and Palm should be SUED!!! ALSO, Palm says that they have "innovated" and "enhanced" the OS by adding a "Clock" and a "Note Pad" into OS4!!! This is UNFAIR to all of the smaller companies out there who create and design Clock and Note-Pad apps for the Palm OS!!! Palm is abusing its MONOPOLY of the OS to BUNDLE their own Apps on the OS and even worse they put the ICONS on the Palms Main Screen!!! Where's David Boise when we need him???!!!!!

> Yes, but palm "BUNDLES" ...

Sure and Handspring, Sony and HandEra have been allowed to bundle whatever apps they want with their devices. Companies are allowed to buy Palm OS devices pre-configured with what software they want. Bundling isn't illegal. Forcing companies to bundle their software would be illegal.

One can also make the argument that Palm's "bundled" apps are minimalistic in comparison to most 3rd party apps anyhow. There really is no comparison between Microsoft's behavior and Palm's.

Precisely my point. Netscape once was a monopoly. In high-tech, anything can change if you are not smart. MSFT could lose their market tomorrow if they did not play smart. Business is not always nice. get over it. Go buy an APPLE iMac, use WOrdPerfect, Corel, Lotus, RealPlayer, Palm, Playstation, etc etc etc yada yada yada and SHUT UP ABOUt MSFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This seems so clear to me I don't know why I'm the first person to say it: Bill Gates must have sold his soul to Satan in the mid-80s. How else can you explain how that little wormy nerd became the richest man on Earth? I'm comforted by the thought of his eternal damnation. Him and Martha Stewart, too. But Billy must have left controlling all the world's handhelds out of his contract, which explains why PPC continues to fail.

I hope a monopoly is not illegal. I have one...it's a game made by Parker Brothers. Will I be sued? I'd better get rid of it, just in case. ;-)

I only believe true monopolies exist when you are talking about a NATURAL-MADE RESOURCE - ie oil, electricity, coal, etc.

Because SUCCESS means dealing with people/companies who are jealous of your success and envious of the fact that they can't compete on their own merits. See McNealy at Sun, Ellison at Oracle, Jobs at Apple, etc etc etc. They want to bring in big government at any cost to help them compete in the free marketplace.

> Because SUCCESS means dealing with people/companies who are jealous of your success

Whether other companies are jealous or not, Microsoft has been found GUILTY in a court of law. If this was a person instead of a company, it would be in jail. This isn't just Microsoft's competitor's opinions, it is now a legally established FACT. If you refuse to admit that, you are wrong.

Laws dealing with monopolies are stacked against the government and those bringing the case. There was so much documented evidence against Microsoft, it isn't even funny. Even with the current, favorable to Microsoft, U.S. government in place, there is far too much evidence for Microsoft to squirm their way out. You act like this is some kind of conspiracy or that everyone is agaist them (that's what Microsoft wants you to believe). That is far from the truth. The laws are very much on the defendant's side, but Microsoft was SO GUILTY. Read the laws and evidence. Their guilt in these matters is indisputable, and the courts have upheld that.

> Let the free market decide and for anyone that doesn't
> like it NO ONE IS STOPPING YOU FROM BUYING ...

Sorry, wrong. There isn't a free market in the computer software industry and hasn't been for many years now. Microsoft has already driven the companies I've dealt with essentially out of business with their illegal practices. Even though Apple now has a better desktop solution to offer, Microsoft has rendered them an impractical solution to most companies and individuals with the damage they have already done to the software industry.

It is unfortunate that Microsoft has opted to use the media to delude people like you into being sympathetic to their illegal behavior. That is the main reason the courts should deal Microsoft the harshest punishment possible.

Yes, I am biased. I believe obviously guilty entities, with overwhelming evidence against them, who offer no remorse or continue to deny guilt should be penalized to the fullest extent of the law. [While I'm on that topic: Fry Mumia!] Microsoft, instead of shutting up and/or accepting what they did was illegal, televised ads and made press releases to manipulate an ignorant public after being found guilty.

I have little bias against Microsoft. Unlike many, I actually like Microsoft Office. Windows 2000 and XP are decent operating systems, though there are better solutions. Microsofts competition in the handheld market has been essentially legitimate to the best of my knowledge.

why can't i erase the built-in Palm apps without risking system failure?

isn't this similar to how MSFT has coupled IE to Windoze?

> why can't i erase the built-in Palm apps without
> risking system failure?
>
> isn't this similar to how MSFT has coupled IE to Windoze?

No. Companies can buy devices from Palm with the installed apps customized. Other licensees like Handspring have replaced the Palm apps with built in ones of their own. Actually Palm is probably the perfect contrast to every illegal thing Microsoft has done.

Why the hell would you use that hack if you could have dimmed the Clie using the brightness function?

If Energy Dimmer crashes right away when you enable it, this is probably because you are using Hackmaster. Apparently Hackmaster has a bug which shows when enabling Energy Dimmer. Using X-Master or TealMaster works fine.

I recommend to update to X-Master, as Hackmaster has other bugs as well (ever started/quit Hackmaster 17 times in a row while some hack is active? ...)

I've put a note on Energy Dimmer's homepage about this.

If the problems continue, please mail me at dimmer@dseifert.de