Microsoft suppresses innovation...unless they own it.

By Lewis A. Mettler, Esq.

For a company that claims to be defending itself in court on the basis of innovative products, Microsoft does not deserve that credit at all. They really should stick to the "we did not do it" defense.

Look at the history. Both HP and IBM helped Microsoft from the very early days. Microsoft in return has suppressed many innovative products from other companies. Other companies were first with peer to peer networking across platforms. Other companies were first with disc compression (Microsoft today still only has two incompatible compression schemes for NT and 98.) Other companies support foreign file formats (Microsoft recently dropped support for HPFS). Other companies were first with the internet browser. Other companies were first with a quality multitasking OS (OS/2 .... Microsoft picked the old windows instead of the superior OS/2 when Microsoft and IBM ended their cross work). Other companies were first with a universal environment (JAVA). Microsoft tried to sabotage Java and steal the technology rather than support the concept behind it. Every step of the way, Microsoft has suppressed some very innovative ideas that would have greatly improved cross-platform computing. But, Microsoft suppressed it. Microsoft continues to suppress any technology it does not own.

Has Microsoft been first with anything? What about windows? No. They stole that from Apple. What about the mouse? Nope. Stolen again. What about the spreadsheet? What about a database system? What about web access on the TV? What about audio over the internet? What about video over the internet? What about e-mail? What have they ever done first? (Bundling two products does not count...that is a violation of antitrust law...and their lawyers knew it.)

So. If Microsoft goes away, what do we loose? Maybe nothing. The question is, "what do we gain?".

What we gain is a return to an industry where the major players foster the development of new products and the growth of new companies (i.e. years ago Microsoft was one of those). Both HP and IBM helped Microsoft get going and they have never done anything to suppress a Microsoft product nor cut Microsoft out of a market that they wanted. Microsoft does that time and time again. It used to be called hard-ball. Now those acts are called antitrust violations. But, Microsoft's only response is to hire as many lawyers as they can afford. All that, just so that they can force products upon the consumer.

Do we know where new technologies will come from? No. We certainly do not. But, the industry can ill afford to allow Microsoft to continue to suppress innovation (unless they own it). We can ill afford to allow Microsoft to "brown nose" OEMs and ISVs alike. We can ill afford to allow a cut throat monopolist to continue to suppress truly innovative products and companies.

Lewis A. Mettler, Esq.