Is the Justice Department really serious about this?
>From CNN's website.
Robber barons?
The government fired back at Microsoft, with Attorney
General Janet Reno
emphasizing the Justice Department's determination to
create a fair market and
competition among U.S. businesses.
"America was not made the industrial giant of the world by
the robber barons
alone," Reno told her weekly press conference. "It was
made the industrial
giant of the world by competition, by encouraging new
developments, by
encouraging young entrepreneurs to break into the market.
It's the best system
I've seen so far."
In view of Microsoft's monopoly with the Windows operating
system, Reno was
asked why the Justice Department has bought tens of
thousands of PCs
running Windows, rather than buying alternative operating
systems.
She replied that monopolies limit choice, "I don't think
you endorse something
by purchasing it," Reno said, "if that's the only game in
town...in terms of an
effective machine, the lowest price available."