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"Microsoft Anti-Trust Case"
Enough is Enough
Quite frankly, though maybe I am not grasping the whole point of this Microsoft Anti-trust case, I don't think Bill Gates is to blame. My understanding of the case is that Bill Gates is the only person in this world who can create such computer software, and because of this, the government is afraid of him having a monopoly-which is illegal. But, is he? Is he charging unreasonable prices for his software, considering he is the only one who can create such products? Technically, if he really wanted to be stingy about it, he could charge thousands and thousands of dollars for his programs, but he's not. Now, I am not the most educated, I'm probably the least, in this whole computer business lingo, but to me, as part of the public, it makes sense that Bill Gates is just doing what he knows how to do. If there were other people in the world who knew how to do what Gates does, then it would be a competition between the two, just like other common businesses in this world. Gates is just running his business because that is what he knows how to do.
Through reading, I did notice that there are other alternatives out there people and businesses can choose to use, instead of ones created through Microsoft (Rosenberg, 2001). If people just cringe at the idea of using software provided by Gates, then they can use something else, they are not forced to use his. "Even if you use Windows as your basic operating system, you can still find better alternatives to the Microsoft-produced default software programs you probably use for important daily tasks" (Rosenberg, 2001). No one, including Gates, is forcing anyone to use Microsoft's software. It is simply up to the user.
In an interview, provided in Taking Sides: Science, Technology, and Society, by Thomas Easton, Bill Gates informs people that in order for software to become popular and frequently used, it has to "possess the infrastructure and support that make it efficient and easy to deploy" (Easton, 2000). Bill Gates is not in this alone. Other people, and businesses support him and his networks. Bill Gates has created the software, but the nation is supporting him.
However, on the contrary, I do see where some people may feel he is taking over the computer industry. That, in conclusion is why this case is going on in the first place (in my understanding). People fear there is no room for any other company, and he is just taking it over. So, in hopes to settle this case once and for all, it has been almost made official, that Gates is going to donate computers and software to schools that are in desperate need of such technology, due to the poverty level (Rosenberg, 2001).
Though Gates is capable of doing so much more, through knowledge and money, I feel this is a good start. Maybe, if the government requires him to donate a certain amount of resources to schools and countries around the world, people will not see him as such a negative figure on the computer industry. Likewise, if Gates does start to charge unbelievable prices for his resources, I feel the government should step in, but until then, I feel Gates has a right to do what he knows how to do.
For additional information used to write my paper:
http://www.salon.com/tech/col/rose/2001/11/29/microsoft_resistance/index.html