Apple Slams Microsoft Settlement

Versaj writes "In a move that may further escalate the growing rift between Apple and Microsoft, Apple openly condemned Microsoft's $1.1bn settlement to in the recent class action lawsuit. Apple interprets the settlement as Microsoft's attempt to thwart competition in the California education market. "Remember: this is a settlement imposed against Microsoft for breaking the law. It should not allow Microsoft to unfairly compete in education, one of the few remaining markets where it doesn't have monopoly power.""

Makes sense..

[fault0]

A year ago, Apple would not have been so outspoken against Microsoft. They needed Microsoft to continue their applications for MacOSX. They needed IE and Office, for example. Now, with Apple trying to develop their own strong line of applications (starting with the iSeries of applications), and culminating most recently with their own webbrowser (or, Internet Explorer replacement), Safari.

The next logical step, would, of course, be to have an Apple branded office suite to compete with Microsoft Office (perhaps a mega-AppleWorks). Perhaps they are already porting OpenOffice or KOffice (or Gobe).

Apple, Microsoft, Rift?

[MacAndrew]

Say it ain't so!

Actually, it makes me nervous when there (supposedly) isn't a rift between them. That weird pretend alliance a few years ago, where Microsoft got a slot on the Apple desktop and Apple got a $100 million "investment" (Bill spend more than that on real estate taxes) was too strange for words.

Someone suggested to me a while ago that despite Apple's desperate need for continued Office for Mac support, Microsoft maybe needed them even more. If Apple were to die, hey presto! incontrovertible monopoly that, with a few missteps, could lead to Microsoft's splitting up in antitrust action. Now that Linux is becoming a more credible alternative, Microsoft might be tempted to abandon Macintosh and cause Apple's fall into oblivion even if it means losing a lucrative niche. Cutting into the education market is a lot like cutting Apple out of the business market.

The key thing is that people need to be weaned off of Office.

On its attempt to bulldoze into education, I'm glad Microsoft got tagged, though it immediately trying to learn loss into victory with VOUCHERS and discounts in a naked attempt to steer those same purchasers back to the MS fold. The cyncicism of it is astounding, and I had assumed the settlement offer was dead on arrival. Please tell me California is smarter than this.

Most of all, I'm glad to see Apple acting like a normal bitter competitor again, too. I wonder what Jobs, who we know already has a bit of a vicious streak, says about Microsoft in private? Hmm. :)

Re:Apple, Microsoft, Rift?

[Twirlip of the Mists]

I wonder what Jobs, who we know already has a bit of a vicious streak, says about Microsoft in private?

In private? Hell! What he says in public makes for pretty good reading. Remember this gem?

The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste... I don't mean that in a small way-- I mean that in a big way, in the sense that they don't think of original ideas, and they don't bring much culture into their product. So I guess I am saddened, not by Microsoft's success-- I have no problem with their success; they've earned their success for the most part-- I have a problem with the fact that they just make really third-rate products.