Voices

“Microsoft, as it is presently organized and led, is unwilling to accept the notion that it broke the law.”

--Thomas Penfield Jackson, judge, U.S. District Court

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“This ruling says to creators of intellectual property that the government can take away what you’ve created if it turns out to be too popular.”

--Bill Gates, chairman and founder, Microsoft Corp.

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“When the remedy is implemented--and this is the key point--customers, consumers in a free and competitive marketplace will decide for themselves what software they want to purchase. Neither a monopolist nor the government will dictate that choice.”

--Joel I. Klein, assistant attorney general, Department of Justice

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“Consumers will have greater choice, they’ll have additional products, they may pay lower prices, they probably will have better service.”

--Tom Miller, attorney general, Iowa

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“It’s a pretty scathing assault on Microsoft.”

--Eliot Spitzer, attorney general, New York

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“This really vindicates us. It shows that not only did Microsoft compete against us aggressively, but that the competition was illegal. Their behavior continues to be reproachful.”

--Jim Barksdale, chief executive, Netscape Communications Corp.

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“Microsoft is a really strong company. It has enough bright people and strong managers for two really strong companies--in fact, maybe for three or four strong companies.”

--Richard Shaffer, principal, Technologic Partners

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“There is no impact in the desktop world. Microsoft won the desktop war, and they’ll continue to win the desktop war.”

--Tim Bajarin, senior analyst, Creative Strategies

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“I don’t think anything dramatic is going to happen tomorrow, but the possibility of changes in the six-month time frame is quite real.”

--Chris LeTocq, research director, GartnerGroup

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“Microsoft products are a strong contributor to our revenue, but we sell lots of other software, too.”

--Mitch Hill, chief financial officer, Buy.com

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“I honestly don’t think this ruling will make any difference. People need or want their product.”

--David Doyle, president, Quest Software Inc.

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“It will mean more competition just like a good capitalist market wants. I’m very happy they’re splitting up.”

--Michael Sekerak, aeronautics graduate student, California Institute of Technology

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“The whole case is ridiculous. If people don’t like a product, they should just not buy it, instead of suing the company that makes it.”

--Sarah Farivar, graduate student, California Institute of Technology

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“This ruling is doing prematurely what the market would have done eventually on its own.”

--Michael Garner, Webmaster, Phoenix Software International