The LangaList

D-Day For Microsoft ( "D" As In "DOJ," That Is!)

The decisions in the Microsoft/DOJ antitrust case--- a case that could profoundly affect the shape of the software market for years to come--- are about to be announced. Rulings from a Federal Court can come down at almost any time, but high-profile rulings get special treatment. For example, if a ruling might affect the U.S. stock markets, the ruling might not be announced until after the markets' final bell for the day.

If the ruling is especially momentous---pro or con--- then to avoid panicky or euphoric market reactions, the announcement might be delayed until after market close on a Friday, to give everyone two full days on the weekend to sort out the details and figure out a rational course of action.

Two weeks ago, the Judge hearing the Microsoft/DOJ case announced he would release his initial findings on a Friday, after 6:30 PM. Many people are betting that this Friday, November 5th, will be the day the sure-to-be-historic announcements come down.

I've been asked to be a commentator on a live, streaming-audio Internet news broadcast of the event. I'll be one of several panelists who will listen to the full findings-of-fact announcement and the full Microsoft response; and then try to dig out the important nuggets of information for you from what is sure to be a barrage of verbiage. 

Because the whole chain of events depends on the Court's timing (which is not known in advance) I can't give you the exact link to the coverage, but the story and the live coverage will be highlighted on http://www.techweb.com/ sometime around 6PM on this Friday---or whichever Friday the announcement comes down.

There are many main and sub-issues at stake, but three of the key areas the Judge will probably rule on are:

1) Is Microsoft legally a monopoly?
2) Has Microsoft illegally abused its monopoly position?
3) Specifically, has Microsoft illegally restrained Netscape by needlessly tying the Microsoft OS and Browser together?

I personally think that the answers should be yes, yes, and no. But I suspect the Judge will find: yes, yes, and yes--- a sweep against Microsoft.

What's your take? InformationWeek Online has set up a straw poll where you can cast your vote and to see how your fellow readers are voting in answer to these these questions:

Do you personally believe that Microsoft has:

1) an OS monopoly?
2) abused their monopoly position?
3) needlessly tied their OS and Browser together for the primary purpose of stifling Netscape?

Regardless of your personal beliefs, do you feel that the Court will find Microsoft to have:

1) an OS monopoly?
2) abused their monopoly position?
3) needlessly tied their OS and Browser together for the primary purpose of stifling Netscape?

Please click to http://www.informationweek.com/langaletter for the full column and for links to cast your vote, and then join a discussion that will initially cover the straw poll, and then switch to a discussion of the actual court findings, once they're announced. 

Come vote!

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More Ways to Get A Printout of Your PC Setup

Last issue ( see http://www.langa.com/newsletters/nov-1-99.htm#quick ) I told you an easy way to get a complete printout (for reference and safekeeping) of your PCs entire setup.

As usual---you folks are great!--- readers had some very helpful suggestions:

Don MacDonald wrote:

As usual, an insightful and helpful letter today. Just a note. It's an unsupported "feature" but there is an executable that can be run from the "run" box in Win98. Haven't checked out other versions. Running "hwinfo /ui" gives what seems to be a complete listing of hardware, resources, apps currently running, etc. It gives output in coded color, can be saved to a text file or printed. That may not be all its capabilities but all I have used it for. The printout is not nearly as long as a print obtained from Devices in the System App of Control Panel.

Frequent writer Dennis "Guru-X" Deveaux added:

You gave a tip on how to print out your system configuration via Win9x. To do the same under NT 4.0, click Start > Programs > Administrative Tools >Windows NT Diagnostics. From there, click File > Print Report and select the options you want.

Canadian reader David Moar writes:

First I'd like to thank you for a very thoughtful and insightful, informative newsletter....[For system information] I go to Run, type in; MSINFO32.EXE which brings up the System Information. It's at C:\ Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared.

And several writers pointed out that if you install a fake "generic text" printer on your system (that is, use the "Add printer" option to install a new "generic text" printer even if you don't really have one) and then select "print to file," you'll get a plain-text file with all the info you want in it. The only downside to this approach is that your PC needs to be running in order to access the file; a paper version is clunkier and less convenient, but may be a better choice because you'll most likely need this kind of info when your system is down or malfunctioning.

Thanks to all who wrote in!

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AOL Redux

My (ahem) rant about AOL5 in the last issue (see http://www.langa.com/newsletters/nov-1-99.htm#aol ) brought a flood of email. 

The overwhelming majority--- by about a 20-to-1 ratio, including many who wrote from AOL addresses!---agreed with me. Here's a small sample, which may be worth remembering if/when you're thinking of trying AOL5 yourself:

Thank heavens someone is warning people about AOL 5.0. I've spent the last week trying to reconstruct my hard drive after trying to install AOL's "update." Their tech support people were extremely courteous but also totally useless. They don't seem to possess the most basic troubleshooting skills. My system ran fine for months under AOL 4.0, but immediately after installing AOL 5.0 the system would no longer connect to AOL through my ISP. Tech support's conclusion? It's the ISP's fault! Anyway, in an internet full of people getting their 15 minutes of fame, your newsletter really stands out in it's usefulness. Thanks. ---Paul.

As a systems coordinator I have been aware of problems caused by my users installing AOL on their computers at work. I must have sent out half a dozen memos begging them not to download it, or Instant Messenger or even Winamp---which contains Instant Messenger, but as with any forbidden fruit, it is irresistible to them...and as you can attest, it tends to knock them AND their Outlook email right off the network. I spend hours every month uninstalling AOL, restoring network connectivity, and getting Outlook to resume delivery. I sent a copy of your newsletter to all my users. Maybe they'll believe you!--- L. Richart

Your comments reflect my feelings almost EXACTLY! ... I provide support for an application that uses VBScript, and AOL overwrites the VBSCRIPT.DLL file without asking nor checking. Since it ALWAYS puts an old version there in place of the existing one, my apps STOP WORKING! We have advised all our users NOT to install AOL under ANY CONDITIONS. I HATE IT.---Mike Gauthier

I feel a little bit better knowing that you also had trouble with AOL 5.0. I was using AOL 4.0 and it was working just fine....[but] AOL 5.0 is evil!!! It wanted to take control of my computer. The Internet connection slowed down and it wouldn't let me tweak the MTU settings. I uninstalled it and everything seems to be back to normal. Luckily I didn't have to reformat my hard drive like you did. I really enjoy your newsletter and find it useful.---Steven Goodman

I had had a computer that was working so very well that...the only time I had a problem was my fault, not the computers. Well, in the last two weeks Windows has crashed so many times that I lost count (I know one day it happened 3 times in 15 minutes). I was thinking "What did I do for this to happen?".... I didn't want to believe the answer but after reading your column on 11-1 it was confirmed. I HAD DOWNLOADED AND INSTALLED AOL 5.0!!--- Mico1313

Amen, amen, amen! It's about time somebody pointed out how ~bad~ AOL is. It's gotten to the point that when I get a phone call from a customer who can no longer connect to their local network, the first question I have is, "Did you install AOL?" Their installation steps on any network settings and creates a huge mess. After I straighten out the TCP/IP settings, I also have to make sure that AOL hasn't bound File and Printer Sharing to the AOL Adapter, and the new AOL Dialup Adapter (nothing redundant there, eh?), to prevent access to local disk shares while on the internet.---Paul J McMahon Jr.

As always, I enjoyed your latest list.... Years ago, I joined AOL. When I tried to put my name in, I kept getting an error message. I finally called tech support and found out that my name---Cliff Babcock--- contained an obscene word. (LOL) --- Cliff

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But Not All Agreed...

A small but vocal minority of readers disagreed:

AOL has its share of faults, but I've been here for over two years and like it. It gives me 6 local access numbers, all V.90, and a lot of features that are fun. Most of us aren't on a network so that isn't an issue. Right, AOL 5.0 is no good for those on a network and that's nuts. I ignore AOL's crummy browser most of the time and use my separate IE 5.0..---Lynn

And I agree that AOL can be fine for a very large class of user. As I stated in the original text: "If you're a novice with a standalone system that has no Internet software installed, isn't on a network, will never share an Internet connection, and (ideally) is running an older version of Windows, AOL can be a great way to get your feet wet. But almost everyone else will have better service, more control, and just plain better results with a real ISP, a real email client, and a real (unmodified) browser."

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Want To Find Other ISPs In Your Area?

Andrew McCann asked a question that this whole AOL mess brought up:

I've tried AOL 5.0 since it was in beta, and some aspects have been good (like the extra, longer screen names and the sigs). But then there are those little details you mentioned. I had noticed that my NetZero account barely works now... and now I know why. Is there a place you would recommend where one could research and compare ISPs?

Two of the best are

www.isps.com

http://www.thedirectory.org/

and you can find many more (for ISPs anywhere in the world) via this metasearch:

http://www.askjeeves.com/main/askJeeves.asp?ask=listings+of+isps

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Recommended Reading: "Windows 98 In A Nutshell"

I recently got a copy of "Windows 98 In A Nutshell," a book by Tim O'Reilly, Troy Mott and Walter Glenn. It covers Win98 and Win98SE and is impressively complete. Here's what an Amazon review says about the book:

"Windows 98 in a Nutshell, the latest addition to the family of O'Reilly's Nutshell books..., covers the current version of the Microsoft Windows operating system, Windows 98. Up to date enough to cover the latest SE edition, it's a compilation of tips, information, and guides to using and working with Windows....[I]t really excels in its coverage of one of Microsoft's hidden secrets--the Windows Scripting Host. Using this and the reference to the available functions in the book, you can create simple scripts to control and add extra functions to your Windows systems."

The book normally sells for $24.95, but you can get a 20% discount (or simply get more info about the book) here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156592486X/langacom

By the way, for a list of *all* the books recommended in past LangaLists (and most are available at substantial discounts off the cover price) see http://www.langa.com/books.htm .

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