The difference is that Sun is not a monopoly, nor have they been found guilty (more than once) of breaking the law. The simple fact is that Microsoft is a quite nasty organisation, who at some time in the past appear to have become something more akin to gangsters and terrorists than an honest business.
You also appear to be missing the point that tendering rules may well have been ignored or a tender may have been put together in such a way as to exclude all bar one supplier.>
No Mark, YOU are missing the point. You are slagging off Microsoft in such an intemperate fashion that no-one in the big wide world will listen.
It is the US federal government and the EU who are "slagging off" Microsoft. As for Mr Gates himself his behaviour is rather similar to that of a certain Mr Archer, who also couldn't distinguish between truth and fiction when it came to giving evidence in court.
Indeed lots of people in this group might well feel the same but be less inclined than me to chip in.
Appearing to a "silent majority", they might just as well think you are an idiot.
Tendering rules have been broken? Slag off the Civil Service. I'm afraid that business is business and if someone in Westminster is daft enough to agree to set up a contract like this, it's a government problem, not Bill
If HM government breaks the law then it's a problem for the entire UK population.
Gates'. Unless you know something about how this contract was arranged??
There is no way that ANY businessman would miss out on a contract like this, if offered.
So their are no businesses who would not break the law (or their own financial regulations) or enter into a contract with a criminal organisation.
I have read a few emails here talking about gangsters, terrorists, New York
You think Jo Moore was the only person in the Labour party who though September the 11th was a good way to hide bad news and questionably behaviour. Both here and the US we have seen preexisting ideas for increasing government (and corporate) power dusted off and and given a prevent terrorism spin. (Many of them would have done *nothing* to prevent the attacks, a few might well have made them easier.)
.... I think the whole thread is developing into something very sad.
I think you can't handle the truth. Which is that Microsoft is hiding behind the illusion of being a legitimate business, whilst at the same time enguaging in business practices which would make a Mafia Don green with envy. When a corporate entity pushes around any national government it's time for concern, when this is a permenant member of the UN security council it's time to either erradicate (or nationalise) them. -- Mark Evans St. Peter's CofE High School Phone: +44 1392 204764 X109 Fax: +44 1392 204763