In the past, Microsoft has had a tendency to bull forward, making its own rules. Certainly they have operated in the past with a well-defined corporate arrogance. In fact, one could argue that is exactly what landed them in this lawsuit to begin with. Should they stick to their guns, they may actually spend the coming months making customers even more dependent on multiple structural entities within their company, thus making a breakup even more dangerous to the rest of the business world. It would be business as usual for Microsoft to put the Justice Department in the awkward position of having to make that very painful decision while doing all in their power to make it even more painful.
History is full of bullies who eventually get their just desserts.
But what history books don't often emphasize is that bullies just keep bullying until someone finally makes them pay and extracting that payment often proves nearly as expensive for those who are trying to correct their behavior. In the meantime, don't expect contrition from the folks in Redmond. That's something they just don't do well. The Peeping Moe , all rights reserved.