At first sight it seems strange to pounce on Microsoft after all this time. A monopoly that has been fairly acquired is not necessarily illegal. And this one has brought consumers the benefit of a software standard, with lower costs and the guarantee of compatibility between programs and hardware. What is more, Microsoft has conveniently extended its monopoly by enlarging the operating system to include such tools as fax and data-compression software. All the while, computers have fallen in price, and their performance has improved.
Innovation continues apace.
Many, among them most American consumers and until recently this newspaper, have concluded that this is reason enough to leave well alone. The Justice Department's investigations have cast light on manipulation that ill befits a monopolist. And Microsoft's attempt to extend its monopoly in operating systems to browsers, which enable users to roam the Internet, is not merely a question of incorporating a small utility program. If Microsoft has broken the law, it should be punished. If it now poses an unfair threat to new companies, then its power should be curbed.