Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (Score 5)

Clearly this article is full of FUD. Those who believe that a Microsoft breakup will cause undue harm to consumers is dearly wrong. Clearly, this move will benefit consumers with increased competition in all areas, as MS will no longer be able to force the use of their products through integration that other vendors cannot match.

One point that I greatly disagreed with was that software will cost more. At the moment, free software has moved into a position to be a clear competitor to MS products. If a MS breakup occurred, more software would be developed for these platforms, making platforms with inexpensive, well developed, effective software. Obviously this breakup would cost MS money, they would be forced to actually produce good products instead of well integrated, buggy software. If MS has to spend $30 billion, so be it. They have the money from all the years MS has exploited computer users.

One other point that was truly ludicrous was that by breaking up MS, the Justice Department would be punishing them for being too successful. Rather, this would be punishment for destroying competition and exploiting customers.

MS has hurt the computer industry for too long. The computer industry should have the opportunity to use the best product, instead of being forced to use software from one company because of that company's monopoly position. Breaking up MS and opening Windows source code is the necessary measure.
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Gregory J. Barlow
fight bloat. use blackbox.