Word: microsoft
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...kinder, gentler Microsoft...
...long run, that's probably about as much significance as the Microsoft antitrust case will have. The life is out of the government side now; trustbuster supreme Joel Klein and prosecutorial machine David Boies both left it behind for better-paying pastures. In the hands of John Ashcroft, the case is a toothless embarrassment. Look for the Justice Department to settle as soon as possible with minimal punitive action (such as a fine that looks tough but really represents 1% of Bill Gates' net worth). The 19 states also bringing suit might last a little longer, and they might force...
...That doesn't mean that nothing changed. Look at Redmond these days and you'll see a kinder, gentler Microsoft. Many of the players who earned Jackson's opprobrium are gone; even Gates has receded under the considerable shadow of CEO Steve Ballmer. Windows XP, due out this fall, is much more respectful of non-Microsoft software than its predecessors (they've made it very easy to choose Netscape as your default browser, for example). Dubious add-ons like the "smart tags" that linked words to websites chosen by Microsoft have been quietly ditched...
...With the X-box games console, Microsoft has entered an arena of giants like Sony and Nintendo who will not lie down and die; Redmond may well get its butt kicked here. Back in the software division, the only attempts to squish competitors are through ineffectual press releases. Heck, they're even using open source software these days...
...much of that is a result of the trial? It's hard to say. But Microsoft was never an intentional ogre; it was just a company that grew very big, very fast, very aggressively and never had any adults around in the playground to bring it down to size. Jackson correctly surmised what was necessary: someone needed to beat Microsoft's head against a brick wall repeatedly and remind it of the existence of the rule of law. He took on the role, and the official branding of bias that comes with it. The payoff will take a little longer...