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Other DOSs, OS2, BeOS ...
>>> Who are these rivals that you are talking about ? (remember we are talking about pre-installing OS on desktop machines). Microsoft had only one major rival on desktop OS market. >>>

Which was... ??? Apple???

Back in DOS days, each OEM paid what became known as the "MS-tax"... a payment to MS even if the OEM decided to load a "competitors" OS (there were a few "OS"es available then), thus it was a (costly) disincentive to try to load a competitor. You ended up paying for the OS you wanted PLUS the MS fee. It became uneconomical to pay twice. (IIRC, at the time, MS got into legal trouble in Europe when MS hard drives with damning evidence (related to the MS surcharge) were found in garbage dumps). Similar to more recent threats and "incentives" to OEMs and ISPs to only use or preload MS (or MS approved) software.

Also remember the sabotage of competing products (actual or thru innuendo). By the time Windows developed into something half usable, the damage was done and MS gained dominance and had the OEMs running scared.

MS also wouldn't allow IBMs OS2 as a dual boot system. It threatened IBM itself with it's Windows license if it didn't agree to NOT include/preload OS2 on it's own PCs.

Only after the anti-trust trial started did you have a snowballs chance in ---- of finding a major OEM (not some backroom grey-box hacker) willing to load anything (ie, Linux) but Gates/MS approved apps. Pre-merger, Compaq, for one, had it's Windows license threatened when it dared to want to preinstall Apples Quicktime, not even an OS!!!

>>> So, you think Microsoft prevented OEMs from pre-installing MAC OS on PCs ??? Ha ha !!! You must be a real fool. >>>

With you using a moniker of a single brain cell, that insult is bold and quite ironic happy
Posted by: MacCanuck   Posted on: 12/16/03 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Very strategic, should kill open source  Mike Cox | 12/15/03
Good eats  rgriffith64@... | 12/15/03
...and with security issues solved..  moiety | 12/15/03
slow day?  ryusen | 12/15/03
Really a smart move. They need to make Windows more modular.  DonnieBoy | 12/15/03
of course  JWatson77 | 12/15/03
Lawsuits a-plenty  jellyclock | 12/15/03
Nah! That would interfere with M$'s business model: monopoly + lock-in.  dicktaurus@... | 12/15/03
Hogwash...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/15/03
Ok  Patrick Jones | 12/15/03
ok  voska | 12/15/03
Maybe true today...  WhoIsDaMan | 12/15/03
IBM never had the Monopoly  voska | 12/15/03
Re:Nah! That would interfere with M$'s business model: monopoly + lock-in.  mbraincell@... | 12/15/03
Cannot generalize based on case studies...  Carl Rogers | 12/15/03
Re: Cannot generalize based on case studies...  mbraincell@... | 12/15/03
I find the opposite  LazLong | 12/15/03
Of course  GRindinAxTaRupy | 12/15/03
Re: Of course  mbraincell@... | 12/15/03
Other DOSs, OS2, BeOS ...  MacCanuck | 12/16/03
Of course it is  WhoIsDaMan | 12/15/03
This why MS is on top  voska | 12/15/03
OK, you got us..  Don Bradley | 12/15/03
My Win98 PC had Netscape preloaded  voska | 12/15/03
funny a software company would not already have a group dedicated to develo  JWatson77 | 12/15/03
My Rep buys all my food  fastech@... | 12/15/03

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