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[Michael S Czeiszperger <czei AT webperformanceinc.com>]

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On Friday 07 September 2001 03:30 pm, you wrote:
>> Can you elaborate on the part about putting the free version of my
> software on everyone's desktop?  If you're referring to "enhancements"
> added to the operating system, then I'm all for it.  A car manufacturer
> has the ability to add whatever they want to their vehicles regardless
> of whether they produce it or want to purchase it from a third-party.
>

[...] Large discussion of car dashes removed.

> Oh NO!  Company Y goes out of business!  Boo-hoo!  That's competition
> but a mass following of CompanyA cars develops into a cult lambasting me
> and my company.  Nevermind that any other company would and does do the
> same thing every day.
>
The difference is that in your example Company A isn't a monopoly, so if 
people want to buy a car without a dashtop Jesus they can't. Microsoft not 
only bundles, they use exclusionary licensing to force all of their partners 
to block customer's access to the competition. 

Microsoft is doing the same thing that Kodak tried to do when they tried to 
forbid drugstores from carrying other types of film.

Other companies do have policies that allow for cooperation. With Sun, for 
example, you can purchase Java from any numbers of vendors. If you don't like 
the Sun version, you can buy it from IBM or HP. If you don't like Intel 
chips, you can purchase compatible AMD chips.

>  If I produce a product, what obligation do I have to not enhance it or
> add features?
>
Of course. The problem is MS isn't content to let their products compete on 
their merits, instead relying on their monopolistic control over the 
distribution channels, and enfluence with "channel partners" to make sure 
that customers can't purchase alternatives.

When picking technologies, companies should ask themselves whether they want 
to invest in something that is available from a sole source, putting them at 
the mercy of a single vendor, or whether they want to invest in technologies 
that can be obtained from a number of competitors, which keeps down costs and 
encourages innovation?

- -- 
Michael S Czeiszperger
czei AT webperformanceinc.com

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