From the Dark Side--M$ "Settlement" Hearing Today

in Baltimore, MD. Microsoft has proposed settling a number of consumer lawsuits stemming from M$'s conviction as an illegal monopolist by donating $1 Billion in cash, software and support to schools according to this Yahoo News article. While a welcome windfall for cash strapped schools and the cash may be used for non-M$ stuff, there is a strong set of incentives to use the cash on M$ stuff and it smacks of a marketing ploy to help M$'s market share in schools. The settlement should be all cash with no strings and several times higher according to some observers. Hopefully, the judge will see through this "settlement" that appears to be more of a scam for market share. But, given M$'s teflon coating in legal proceedings, we expect the worst. [Dana Baggett]