This was originally sent to the Studio B mailing list. I would have just pointed to it in their mailing list archive, but the archive is awful, and right now their site isn't working for me at all.

Subject: Re: Microsoft Findings of Fact

Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1999 21:32:52 -0500
From: Bruce Epstein - Zeus Productions 
Reply-To: "Computer Book Publishing" 
To: "Computer Book Publishing" 

At 1:00 AM -0500 11/7/99, Computer Book Publishing digest wrote:
>http://www.macintouch.com has a pretty good summary...


Hmmm....

I'd call it a pretty superficial summary. It addresses only the "topmost"
legal issues and leaves out tons of meat. I read the entire document last
night. It has 412 short paragraphs and totals about 400 K of HTML. Even for
those not interested in legal hair-splitting, the document taught me a lot
about how the PC industry works. I HIGHLY recommend spending a few hours
reading the thing top to bottom. I'm a slow reader and it took me about 4
hours to read it onscreen. You could probably read it in an hour and a half
if you printed it out.

The document reads like a very dry spy novel. It details the abuses MS
perpertrated on companies like IBM, Apple, Intel, Netscape, Sun, and HP to
name a few. Particularly shocking was the part where they abused IBM badly
enough to damage their PC business substantially.

People might find the following paragraphs particularly interesting (this
is a list I made up for an economist friend of mine who is interested in
calculating the harm to consumers):

paragraph 18
paragraphs 25 and 26
paragraphs 62 through 66
paragraph 84
paragraph 90
paragraph 100
paragraphs 124 and 125
paragraphs 130 to 132
paragraph 139
paragraph 143
paragraph 148
paragraph 155
paragraphs 166 and 169
paragraph 203
paragraph 213
paragraph 214 ESPECIALLY
paragraphs 232 - 234
paragraph 241
paragraph 245
paragraph 247
paragraph 258
paragraph 262
paragraph 280
paragraph 285
paragraph 294
paragraph 310 ESPECIALLY
paragraph 326
paragraph 329
paragraph 345
paragraph 355 especially
paragraph 379
paragraph 401
paragraph 406
paragraphs 408-412 (talk about harm to consumers)

Everyone should read paragraph 412 quoted here for your benefit:

"12. Most harmful of all is the message that Microsoft's actions have
conveyed to every enterprise with the potential to innovate in the computer
industry. Through its conduct toward Netscape, IBM, Compaq, Intel, and
others, Microsoft has demonstrated that it will use its prodigious market
power and immense profits to harm any firm that insists on pursuing
initiatives that could intensify competition against one of Microsoft's
core products. Microsoft's past success in hurting such companies and
stifling innovation deters investment in technologies and businesses that
exhibit the potential to threaten Microsoft. The ultimate result is that
some innovations that would truly benefit consumers never occur for the
sole reason that they do not coincide with Microsoft's self-interest."


There are lots of other interesting parts that I don't cite above, and
lack of mention should not be misconstrued as indicating their irrelevance.
Almost every paragraph talks about something sleazy that MS did.

One thing I found interesting was the judge's contention that the OS
monopoly has hindered the adoption of cheaper hardware, thus harming
consumers who would benefit from a thin client. There was a brief mention 
of the harm MS might do in other markets it chose to move into, such as
providing content.

Anyone having trouble downloading it can try

http://www.nightwares.com/the-indigestible/

Anyway, whether you love or hate MS (I'm no fan, but am a mild critic by
most standarads) you should read this document.

I have no idea what it means for computer book publishing, but if you read
the entire document you could certainly write some interesting articles for
newspapers or magazines about it.

Cheers,
Bruce, author of the 7th best-selling book in Poland apparently.

Bruce Epstein, Zeus Productions, bruce@zeusprod.com
Free Sample Chapters: http://www.zeusprod.com/nutshell/download.html

Director and Lingo in a Nutshell (DiaN/LiaN) kick butt. Buy them
or submit your book review at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565923820/zeusproductions
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565924932/zeusproductions