From owner-freebsd-chat Wed May 20 07:35:29 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id HAA11192 for freebsd-chat-outgoing; Wed, 20 May 1998 07:35:29 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from softweyr.com ([204.68.178.33]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id HAA11186 for ; Wed, 20 May 1998 07:35:20 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from wes@softweyr.com) Received: from softweyr.com (localhost.softweyr.com [127.0.0.1]) by softweyr.com (8.8.8/8.8.7) with ESMTP id IAA03142; Wed, 20 May 1998 08:35:13 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wes@softweyr.com) Message-ID: <3562EA20.88FEA191@softweyr.com> Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 08:35:12 -0600 From: Wes Peters Organization: Softweyr llc X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (X11; I; FreeBSD 2.2.6-RELEASE i386) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: John Kelly , chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Monopolies? (Not about M$) References: <3561d69c.198654393@mail.cetlink.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org John Kelly wrote: > Cisco has achieved 80% monopoly in the Internet router market, but > without using illegal tying contracts and other practices prohibited > by the antitrust laws. As long as they act lawfully while creating a > monopoly, the law does not judge it as bad. Cisco doesn't have anywhere near an 80% monopoly, depending on how you define "Internet router market". If you're talking about the backbone routers on the Internet, it's probably closer to 100%; if you're talking about the Internet as a whole, it's probably more like 60%. You raise an interesting point, though. Cisco has such a large market share, and a near deadlock on the backbone, because their products work. There are faster routers, and easier to setup and maintain routers, but Cisco was there first with the most. They've only recently begun to advertise their products outside the narrowly focused network trade rags, and don't seem to be making much headway with their new product lines. Cisco: who else COULD see their stock go up $3/share on the day AT&T announces 33% of their frame relay network is down because of a bug in Cisco's routers? Be afraid. Be very afraid. The basic reason why free market economies abhor monopolies is that competition makes EVERYONE (who survives) better. Lack of competition means lack of innovation and leads to shoddy products. -- "Where am I, and what am I doing in this handbasket?" Wes Peters Softweyr LLC http://www.softweyr.com/~softweyr wes@softweyr.com To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message