>Several reasons. For one, if Office, Windows, and DevTools/Net are all separate, then we might have to contend with more incompatibilities than we do now. For two, all sorts of standards may no longer be standards.

I don't think that even if they breakup in 10 companies, the flow of information between divisions, er, companies will change at all. I think it's naive to think otherwise.

Besides, separating OS from dev-tools into 2 companies is quite an exercise in futility. The "Microsoft Operating Systems Company" will still have a monopoly on the OS market, and the "Microsoft Office Company" will still have a monopoly on the apps market.

Morale of the story? If you feel that you're becoming too successful, invest some money and start a phoney company to compete with yours.

And regarding the horrors of all the DOSes, I think that was because there were several companies reverse-engineering the same product. You forgot to mention 4DOS. :-)

alex