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The Sound of Squelching (9/10/98)
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And in further Microsoft news, Digital Equipment Corporation is the latest to get in line to say that the Redmond Giant squelched a potentially competing product. Five DEC execs are claiming that Bill Gates personally strongarmed their company into cancelling a promising Internet product, by threatening to cancel Microsoft's development of Windows NT for DEC's processors. Sordid details are available in the New York Times, but be warned-- you may feel icky after reading them.
The Internet product that DEC was working on was codenamed "Shark," and it was developed jointly by DEC and Oracle, based on Oracle's Network Computer standard. The Network Computer is, along with Java, one of those nagging little technologies that keeps Microsoft execs awake at night, because they have some potential to break the Windows stranglehold on the desktop computer market. Reportedly, Gates himself called Robert Palmer, the CEO of DEC, and said, "You have to decide if you're Larry [Ellison]'s friend or my friend." (Ewww... thinly veiled threats always make us want to take a shower...) Given the potential revenue loss tied to a parting of ways with Microsoft, DEC had no choice but to kill the "Shark."
When Palmer called Ellison to tell him that "Shark" was being canceled, he wouldn't say why. He did, however, say that he'll "tell the truth" if he's subpoenaed. (Subpoena him! Subpoena him!) Chalk up one more promising technology ground to dust under Bill's big heel.
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SceneLink (1004)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 9/10/98 episode: September 10, 1998: Sure, maybe you missed your chance to buy Apple stock at $13 a share, but Larry Ellison's got more to cry about. Meanwhile, Microsoft tries to deflect attention from its anticompetitive practices by pointing the finger at other companies, including Apple, even while Digital Equipment Corporation execs tell how Bill Gates himself forced the death of a cool NC-based product...
Other scenes from that episode: 1002: Coulda Shoulda Woulda (9/10/98) Still kicking yourself because you didn't buy Apple stock at $13 a share last year? After all, even after the market turbulence lately, it's still up over $36 now-- an investment of $1000 would have raised more than enough money for an iMac and some peripherals... 1003: Deflector Shields Up (9/10/98) Oh, this is rich... "Redmond Justice" is heating up again, as Microsoft fashions its latest defense strategy in the face of the impending trial. Apparently the tactic du jour is to show-- get this-- that other companies have banded together to engage in anticompetitive practices against them....
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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