Being able to force OEMs to take the Microsoft deal or go bankrupt, precludes any possibility of competition in the consumer operating system market.

And, now with Microsoft forcing 100% of its customer, 100% of Apple's customers  and 100% of AOL customers to buy IE, Microsoft will soon have a monopoly in browsers as well (it is only a matter of time and your money).  And, once no browser has a chance of entering the market, Microsoft will dictate the entire use of the Internet completely.  No one will be able to advertise.  No one will be able to conduct any business. And no one will be able to offer innovative products.  Only Microsoft will decide those issues.  (And we know form experience that they will always do what is best for Microsoft and ignore the needs and wants of their own customers completely.)

As the OEMs are controlled now, so will be the Internet.  Portals and all other services will have to pay Microsoft for the right to exist.  If they do not, they will be treated precisely as Microsoft treats Intel, Netscape, AOL, Apple, Intuit, Inprise(Borland), Stac and others.  That is, if you do not do precisely as Microsoft dictates, you will be driven out of business legally or illegally.  It does not matter to Microsoft.  If you have a contract with Microsoft, they will just ignore it.  If you have a consent decree with Microsoft, they will just ignore it.  It you rely upon Microsoft for anything, they will threaten to ruin your company if you do not do as they wish.  This way of doing business by Microsoft has been demonstrated time and time again.  It is their culture.
 
But, Bill Gates will get on his high horse and claim the exclusive right to innovate and force all consumers to buy his products.  He is beginning to sound like a nasty and ruthless king who forces all subjects to pay double taxes yet claims that everything he does is for their benefit.  "Everyone must buy IE", proclaims the king.

OS/2 was blocked from the market by OEM contracts.  The Netscape browser is being blocked from the market in the same way. (Microsoft still thinks that if they can show that Netscape can still distribute free copies of their browser, somehow they have not violated antitrust law.  And they still think that if they can claim other products are inferior, somehow they have not violated antitrust law.)

Microsoft thinks that the way you force consumers to buy your products is to prevent competitors from selling theirs.  They are correct.  But, those acts are illegal.

Microsoft just does not care what is illegal or not.  It is their culture.  It is their culture to ignore all laws and hope that even when you get caught, the penalties and court orders will not offset the gains made by illegal means.

Lewis A. Mettler, Esq.