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Retreat to Easier Terrain (4/9/98)
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For the most part, Microsoft knows how to pick its battles. Given the beating they took in the courtroom in the continuing Redmond Justice case (which, as of yet, hasn't affected their business one iota, but still), they're now trying to shift the arena of the conflict from the court to the minds of the public. Their new national print advertising campaign tries to state that the central issue of the whole affair is whether or not Microsoft has the right to innovate. (While we suppress a collective giggle, you might want to read the details over at CNET.)
It's a great strategy, of course-- Microsoft has a proven history of being able to get the American public at large to swallow whatever they spoonfeed them. One need look no farther than the dominance of Windows to see that. So since the courts aren't buying the specious arguments, why not twist the case's focus from "anticompetitive marketing practices" to "freedom to innovate" and let the court of public opinion decide? Shades of "a courageous move, taking on that formidable pro-crack lobby" and "all babies should eat!" (Bonus points to viewers who correctly identify either or both semi-obscure references.)
And of course, the AtAT Ironic Statement of the Week Award goes to Microsoft chief operating officer Bob Herbold, who states: "Some of our competitors have been working to hobble competition." Er, just who's on trial for antitrust violations, here, Bob?
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SceneLink (613)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 4/9/98 episode: April 9, 1998: Unhappiness in the Mac developer community seems to have reached a fever pitch, and if things continue unabated, it's only a matter of time before Cupertino is besieged by hordes of angry geeks. Meanwhile, Apple states that all will be made clear at the WWDC, and Microsoft tries to enlist the support of the American public in its multitude of antitrust battles...
Other scenes from that episode: 611: The Gnashing of Teeth (4/9/98) Okay, so it wasn't just the usual grousing. Developer sentiment regarding Apple's changes to the Developer Connection this week remains "icky." When we use the word "icky," of course, we are using it as the scientific term comprising equal parts anger, loathing, and incredulity... 612: 30 Days is a Long Time (4/9/98) Meanwhile, Apple's trying really hard to weather out the storm until the Worldwide Developer Conference next month. While the natives grow more restless with each passing day, Apple is attempting to smooth over the increasingly-bumpy relationship with its programmers by insisting that its currently-murky software strategy will be revealed in detail at the WWDC...
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