Changes Ahead For Computer Users
A federal judge has ruled that Microsoft violated antitrust laws in the way it marketed its Internet browser software.
CBS News Correspondent Herb Weisbaum reports on what it means for consumers.
The next date to watch in this battle between Microsoft and the government is May 24. That's when the same judge will start hearings to determine what penalties he will hand down against the company.
Some experts say no matter what the eventual outcome of this case, computer users are in for some big changes in the not too distant future.
And it has nothing to do with the government's lawsuit and everything to do with the pace of technology.
When it comes to software for personal computers, Microsoft is still king of the hill. Nine out of 10 PCs sold in the United States this year will use the company's Windows operating system. But the computer world is changing because of the Internet.
Wendy Taylor, editor of Smart Business magazine, says Microsoft is already feeling the heat.
"They've got a lot more competition ahead of them now. The marketplace is completely different. The Internet has changed everything," Taylor says.
To hop on the Web, you don't need a sophisticated computer loaded with complicated software. Just a simple Internet appliance will get you online for less than a hundred bucks.
"As more and more people view the Internet as really a form of broadcast media, they demand a 'turn it on, tune it in, get what I want' kind of experience," says Peter Coffee of PC Week.
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In fact, it already has. The Eastside Journal in Bellevue, Wash., runs its Web site with a relatively new operating system called Linux. And the people there say they love it.
Internet users also want to stay connected wherever they are. So the newest cellular phones and personal digital assistants let you log on wherever you are. And many of these new devices don't use a Microsoft operating system.
"The operating system is becoming less relevant. What really matters is what kind of value, what kind of benefit am I getting from ths application on the Web," says Taylor.
So does Microsoft still matter? Sure it does. But according to Smart Business magazine, it's no longer the 800-pound gorilla able to crush the competition. In fact, earlier this week, America Online, which now owns Netscape, unveiled its newest browser software, Netscape 6, which is designed to speed up downloading from the Internet to noncomputer devices, such as cell phones, TV set boxes and other Web appliances.