Posted on 11/02/2001 6:18:39 AM PST by Sir Gawain
CASE SETTLED: JUSTICE TO BREAK UP APPLE
FOR TURNING MICROSOFT INTO MONOPOLY
Alternative OS Maker Used Anti-Competitive Practices Against Itself
Redmond, Wash. (SatireWire.com)-- Microsoft and the U.S. Justice Department today announced a settlement in their landmark anti-trust case that calls for the break up of Apple Computer, as both sides agreed Apple's history of "self-inflicted, anti-competitive" management practices is primarily to blame for turning Microsoft into an illegal monopoly.
"We had already won the case, so we were thinking in terms of penalties, and when you do that, it is imperative that you punish those most responsible," said Assistant U.S. Attorney General Charles James. "Well, we couldn't ignore that since its inception, Apple had numerous opportunities to dominate the operating system market, but instead, management incompetence and arrogance resulted in decisions that gave us the Microsoft we know today."
|
"We believe it's time for Apple to pay for that market manipulation," he added.
In a press conference supporting the settlement, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates tearfully recalled "disturbing, half-blocked memories" of a young Microsoft's life.
"We never wanted to become a monopoly, but (Apple) pretty much forced us into it," said an obviously bitter Gates. "Everybody knew they had the best computer. Everybody knew they had the best operating system. But what did they do? Time and time again, they let us win."
"I didn't recognize it at first. I thought they were genuinely trying," he added. "But when they came out with the Newton, I should have known they were purposely steering us toward market domination. I feel... used."
Attorneys general from 18 states, which had originally sought aggressive penalties against Microsoft, said they were satisfied with the agreement, and noted that Microsoft likely would have won on appeal by claiming entrapment.
"We could have punished Microsoft, but that wouldn't have solved the problem. Apple would still be around to do it all over again," said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. "No, you can either penalize the monster, or you can penalize Dr. Frankenstein. We choose the latter."
Under the agreement, Apple must pay for all of Microsoft's legal fees, and will be allowed to continue making one only one product. Reached at Apple's headquarters, CEO Steve Jobs said he had not decided what product that would be, but was leaning toward the new iPod MP3 music player, "because we've invested heavily in it, and it's probably not going to sell."
In the anti-trust case, Microsoft had been charged with using unfair tactics to crush competition and restrict choice by manipulating computer manufacturers and consumers into using Microsoft's operating systems and browsers. None of this would have happened, Constitutional scholars agreed, if Apple hadn't made "so many amazingly bad business moves" over the years.
This anti-competitive, pro-Microsoft-monopoly behavior began in the 1980s, when, unlike Microsoft, Apple refused to license its operating system to other computer makers to build clones. In an even more disastrous decision, Apple licensed its software to Microsoft so it could develop applications for the Macintosh operating system. Not long thereafter, Microsoft came out with its first Windows product, which looked "remarkably like" Apple's.
"'Hey Bill, here's the source code to our operating system. But no cheating!'" quipped Blumenthal. "I think we should shut down Apple on that move alone."
As the years went by, Apple management's reaction to its steady decline was to insist that its products would win because they were better, and to continually charge more for them until, by 1994, it decided it would allow clones to be built after all. This was followed by the decision that it would not allow clones to be built after all, then by a decision that it would allow it, then it wouldn't, and finally, no one cared.
I'm glad you brought that up.... From an article I read last night regarding THEIR claim on battery life:
"The iPod is powered by a built-in rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery that Apple says will handle 10 hours of playback on a single charge. I'm on hour 11 now and there's life in the thing yet. A battery that actually exceeds its specs? Now that's rare."
Anything else you want to gripe about?
yeah, when are people going to get rid of macs and pc's and get real computers, like a Sun box?
KBZ Quote # 1 "yeah, when are people going to get rid of macs and pc's and get real computers, like a Sun box?"
KBZ Quote # 2 "I'm sure its a different reason than why most the people I know working at Sun have PCs."
If Sun is such a "real" computer, then why do the people you know have PC's (or Macs, for that matter...)?
BTW, who the heck is Zod?
That says it all!
General Zod. A character from the Cristopher Reeve movies Superman and Superman 2
A criminal from the Planet Krypton who attempted to create a military dictatorship on Krypton, but was caught and imprisoned. In Superman 2, he escapes and comes to earth where he continues to try to impose another dictatorship. It is in this film he repeats the line "Kneel before Zod" to people.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.