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Review of Charles Ferguson, High Stakes, No Prisoners

-- Bradford DeLong (delong@econ.berkeley.edu), May 04, 2000

Answers

Just read your draft review of my book. You're certainly right that I'm opinionated. I have, however, thought about open source software, and I believe that I discuss it in the book; I am pretty sure that I discuss Linux at least briefly.

For various reasons, I doubt that open source software will/would sufficiently discipline Microsoft in the absence of other antitrust remediation; the open source AOL/Netscape browser certainly hasn't. I'd be happy to talk with you about that, or anything else.

Many thanks, though, for taking the time to think about the book carefully. I would welcome a chance to chat; I live half time in Berkeley.

Contributed by Charles Ferguson (chf@cferguson.com) on May 3, 2000.

-- Charles Ferguson (chf@cferguson.com), May 04, 2000.


in case you missed this by Charles Ferguson

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/article s/A20897-2000Apr5.html

Dismantle Microsoft, With Care

To the surprise of nobody--except, apparently, the stock market--Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson has ruled that Microsoft violated the antitrust laws. The Justice Department and states must now recommend remedies; Jackson must decide; and then his decision, if sustained upon appeal, must be implemented. I'm not a lawyer; I pass on the strictly legal issues. But for the good of both consumers and industry, a major structural solution is called for. But if such major surgery is to be undertaken, it is important to do it correctly. Microsoft should be split into its technologically natural components--operating systems, applications and possibly a third company for Internet services. (For the record, most of my wealth consists of Microsoft stock.)

. . . Contributed by glenn@econ.berkeley.edu (glenn@econ.berkeley.edu) on May 3, 2000.

-- glenn@econ.berkeley.edu (glenn@econ.berkeley.edu), May 04, 2000.


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