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Netscape's Red(mond) Ink (4/3/98)
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We'd have to guess that it's relatively rare for a large company to file a year-end 10-K report to the Securities and Exchange Commission with a section on competitive factors that focuses heavily on how one single corporation's actions are destroying its business. However, it seems that's just what Netscape did in its report filed a week ago, according to Wired News. (If you can't guess which company they blame for their ongoing woes, you really haven't been paying attention...)
Yes, of course it's Microsoft's alleged anticompetitive practices that Netscape holds primarily responsible for its lackluster performance. The list of offenses includes: promotion of the proprietary ActiveX technology to create Microsoft-only web sites; corruption of Java to produce Microsoft-only Java-based sites; "preferential distribution and bundling contracts" for Microsoft software; bundling internet server software with its operating systems; and essentially bribing web content providers to create sites only viewable in Internet Explorer. All of these factors contributed to Netscape's continually-dwindling market share, which directly affects its bottom line.
Is this the beginning of a trend? We at AtAT wonder if more and more companies will be reporting that their financial woes stem from the Redmond Juggernaut as Microsoft continues to practice its own "special" brand of business unchecked. Netscape's set an interesting precedent, to be sure-- within a couple of years, we could easily see companies like Sun and Oracle (and Apple) follow suit. After that, it's only a matter of time before Frito Lay and Coca-Cola start blaming sales slumps on the integrated Snack and Beverage Wizards integrated into Windows '04. (Oh, great, now we've gone and given Bill an idea...)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 4/3/98 episode: April 3, 1998: There's something fishy about the whole Newton situation, and the roots of the conspiracy can be traced to an old AtAT cast member, back from oblivion. Meanwhile, the debate over Quicktime 3.0 licensing rages on, and Netscape vents about Microsoft in an SEC filing...
Other scenes from that episode: 593: Trust No One (4/3/98) Conspiracy Alert: Faithful viewer Ben Dyer has sharper eyes (and a more paranoid mind) than most. Consider his latest scenario: I just read today's episode and I got to the part about Planet Computing trying to get the Newton division and I had a theory: what if Planet Computing is actually the re-organization of Power Computing?... 594: In Defense of Quicktime (4/3/98) The heated debate over Apple's Quicktime 3.0 license fees continues to rage; just take a look at MacInTouch's Quicktime page for a sample of the e-bile spreading over the net. Now that the most vocal detractors have had their say, we're starting to see some backlash...
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