From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,345c9fcf5a67a99f X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-05-24 12:05:09 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!uninett.no!ntnu.no!not-for-mail From: Preben Randhol Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: OT: Microsoft takes on history Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 19:05:07 +0000 (UTC) Organization: Norwegian university of science and technology Message-ID: References: <3CED2E66.DD15C13D@despammed.com> <2TvH8.1710$Np5.1619@nwrddc01.gnilink.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: kiuk0156.chembio.ntnu.no X-Trace: tyfon.itea.ntnu.no 1022267107 11081 129.241.83.82 (24 May 2002 19:05:07 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@itea.ntnu.no NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 19:05:07 +0000 (UTC) User-Agent: slrn/0.9.7.4 (Linux) Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:24670 Date: 2002-05-24T19:05:07+00:00 List-Id: On Fri, 24 May 2002 18:45:18 GMT, Frank J. Lhota wrote: > > In short, the notion that Microsoft is impervious to challengers from > smaller companies (are there any other kind) should be taken with a grain of > salt. Microsoft once played the role of David against IBM's Goliath; now > that Microsoft is in the role of Goliath, it would take just one company > with the next great new idea to bring MS to its knees. Yes, but then you need goverments that take action when the free market doesn't work because the biggest companies uses illegal methods to keep their position. You do not need goverments who looks the other way and says "ok, but next time try to keep it secret". The problem with the free market is that the only steering comitee it is supposed to have is the consumers. This is not enough. There will always be the collective irrationalism to hinder it, besides the consumers do not have any means of dealing with the cheating in the free market. If you think so, then tell me why people stick to the hopless Word wordprocessor of writing documents when there are better alternatives. Because everybody else uses Word. See what I mean? And speaking of free market, why does the USA impose a tax on imported steel now? Preben