Netscape/AOL/Sun deal delayed until March 14
The Netscape/AOL/Sun deal will not come to fruition until
late March because Microsoft's trial has resulted in a lengthier
federal regulator review process. Moreover, the net result of
the deal in 3 years time may be that Sun walks away with Netscape's
software while AOL takes its portal.
AOL is the next monopoly (Score:1)
1) After 2 more years of trials, Microsoft gets broken up, and as expected Windows and MS Office quality goes down (even worse!?!). The problem is that they are still the most popular OS and Office products, because competetor's products are still lacking. Windows and Office prices go up because it's now more expensive to develope as separate companies. This opens the doors to competitors, as we'd hoped from the begining.
2) AOL is the new big company, with Sun at it's side, which by this time has bought Apple. Apple machines are the clients, Sun's are the servers, and AOL is platform (not the OS, which becomes a term of the past as the OS becomes more and more hidden, like on VCR's and console systems.) The thing is that AOL is not realy competing with Microsoft - they don't make any of the same things (no AOL OS, no AOL office suite, no AOL dev suite). But people don't care - they buy anything with AOL/Sun/Apple's name on it because it's "Not Microsoft." (That's part of the ad campaign.) Oh yeah, and AOL changes their name to AOL Worldtech, and eventually just drops the AOL part. Worldtech's logo is next to Sun's logo on their servers and Apple's logo on their clients. They make a big deal how they don't own the server or client market, they are just partners, but in fact they do.
3) AOL Worldtech IS the new monoloply, but you would never know that. Why? Because you use it. That means you see their news pages, and unlike MSNBC which prints stories about the trial with an "anti-Microsoft" tone to them, Worldtech would never print anything like that on it's online papers. They also suggest the same things to NYTimes, CNNonline, and all the other news services that use Worldtech to get to customers. The slang question "Whats' your Worel-T address?" replaces "What's your internet address?" as Worldtech stops using the word "Internet" and replaces it with "Worldtech's networks" - they might not own the Internet, but they own most people on it, and browsing the web is impossible without hitting a Worldtech page, site, or other connection.
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palmsizethis@hotmail.com
Confused. (Score:1)
a) AOL aquiring Mozilla means that they'll use it, otherwise why the hell do they want it. And if a stack of AOL users already use IE, that means that they have to support them. So they allow choice. People on AOL may be given the oportunity to use either. Ideally they would have a choice when they first installed whatever AOL gives them, with no preference between them.
b) Consumers get to choose. Choice means that there is competition. Competition can lead to improvements (or it might just lead to more marketing to promote the inferior. Am I the only one who can't stand the Rolling Stones anymore. Not that I liked them much to being with...)
c) If AOL starts offering Mozilla, then AOLusers are no longer confined to IE, which means a few million people (potentially) using Mozilla not IE.
d) I'd allow the deal, on the condition that AOL doesn't try to use Mozilla to force people onto their service. I'm happy with my ISP. I took a stanley knife to the AOL CD that was sent to my house to prevent an idiot^H^H^H^H^Hmy brother from installing it. Keep mozilla.org going, and I'm happy.
I'd include a few other people as "major players". I'd start with the Apache team. As the only server that grew its market share, and still with over 50% of the market, they have to be a major player. I'd include others, but I'm a touch blasted (sorry).
At least you didn't suggest that AOL will take over the world. Or that they belong to the illuminati. Just who the hell are the illuminati? I just want a T shirt with "I'm with the conspiracy" in big letters on it. Just to see if I get conspiracy freaks to react.
The freemasons are making me end this comment now.
Colin Scott
Final Year Computer Systems Engineering Student
Whew!! (Score:1)
I thought that was the immediate outcome! (Score:1)
Free Software (Score:1)
If Sun open-sources java, and walks about with Netscape's software, then they would have a big peice of the commercial open-source software "puzzle". Hopefully they don't screw it up, this could be a big chance.
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