Clinton gets briefing on MS punishment

U.S. Justice Department lawyers briefed President Clinton on their proposed
remedies for preventing Microsoft from engaging in any further unfair business
practices and measures that reportedly includes breaking the company into two or
three parts and imposing tough short-term remedies.

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, when asked about reports, the Justice
Departments reportedly wants to separate the OS and applications groups said,
consumers would be hurt by such action. The synergy between the various
divisions and products are the key to Microsoft’s success he said. "We
wouldn't have Windows today if it hadn't been for the Office group and the
Windows group working together. It was the thinking that was done, being in one
company, going after a new user interface, taking a huge risk, that we were able
to create Windows.''

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer also indicated there is no way Microsoft will
ever agree to a break-up. "This company, which has done so many great
things for consumers and the American economy over the last 25 years, will not
be broken up. Absolutely nothing in the current case justifies breaking us
up."

Critics say that the ability of OS and application developers working
together has given Microsoft an unfair advantage over competitors in the
applications market, as well as the ability to include code in the OS designed
to cripple competing software applications, as has been alleged in the antitrust
and other lawsuits involving Microsoft. At the White House, presidential
spokesman Jake Siewert said only that the talks were of an
"informational’ nature. "They reviewed the status of the case, the
proposed remedy and the rationale behind the proposal,'' White House spokesman
said