We mentioned this in passing last Friday, but we felt it deserved a little more attention: for those of you who haven't heard, Judge Motz finally ruled on that deal that Microsoft proposed as a settlement for a slew of private non-"Redmond Justice" antitrust suits. You remember the one; Microsoft admits no wrongdoing, and instead of forking over up to $12.5 billion in potential damages, the company simply donates $839.5 million worth of free copies of Windows and Office and a stack of refurbished PCs to the nation's poorest schools. In other words, Microsoft's officially not guilty, it saves a bundle of cash, and it gets to extend its monopoly into one of the few markets which it doesn't yet have in a chokehold by inflicting Windows on the nation's children. Sounds like a great deal for everyone. (Oh, wait, did we say "everyone"? Sorry, we meant "Microsoft.")

Well, good ol' Judge Motzy-Motz did the right thing and canned that proposal, as noted by a Reuters article pointed out by faithful viewer Nina Tovish. Motz called the proposal "thinly-funded" (read: "cheap"), appearing to "provide a means for flooding a part of the kindergarten through high school market, in which Microsoft has not traditionally been the strongest player" (read: "you must think my head is made of plywood"), and possibly "constituting court-approved predatory pricing" (read: "nice try, you evil, conniving slimebags; I would spit on you if I could think of an acceptable judicial method to do so"). And just when you thought it couldn't get any more noxious in here, a Microsoft spokesman let this one fly: the company is "disappointed that this unique opportunity to advance very significant social benefits has been blocked." Mmm-hmm... Microsoft's doing it all for the children. Funny how Redmond won't just give up the cash and let the schools decide what to buy with it, though...

Anyway, kudos to Steve Jobs, who dared to speak out publicly against the proposal. Evidently his voice was heard, as when Judge Motz nuked the settlement plan, he explicitly mentioned that the deal might constitute the extension of Microsoft's monopoly into schools "particularly in relation to Apple." Rather than amend the deal so that the schools would get cash and a choice, Microsoft has apparently decided either to scrape together a new settlement proposal from scratch, or to fight all hundred-odd cases in court. Whatever the outcome, though, it appears that the danger of a court-approved tidal wave of Windows sweeping through our schools is one fewer thing to infect your nightmares tonight. Yessiree, it's back to "naked in class before the final exam for a course you've never attended" for you...