From francois.pellegrini@labri.u-bordeaux.fr  Mon Feb 26 08:57:21 2001
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 09:57:21 +0100
From: Francois PELLEGRINI francois.pellegrini@labri.u-bordeaux.fr
Subject: [Patents] Dutch MP's demand triviality criteria in the law before
 allowing SW pats

	Hello all,

Ram'on Garc'ia Fern'andez wrote:
> That was predicted to happen long time ago; but it never happened.
> And it will not happen for two reasons:
 
>  - What is the point in having a faster machine that cannot run applications
>  (Microsoft Office, games, ...)? That machine is not useful.
 
>  - The situation is even worse because of strong economy of
> scale. Compatible processors have more sales. Therefore they are
> cheaper (there is a very high fixed cost independent of the number of
> processors). For example, RISC machines are being abandoned in favour
> of Intel compatible for numerical simulation because of their high
> prices.

	You are right. However, both problems shrink if you consider that
the two involved players have/will maintain a quasi-monopoly situation.
- With Microsoft behind, you will get plenty of applications at first
start.
  And the goal of such a system would indeed be to secure the
applications
  market, with higher licence enforcement devices.
- With Intel behind, you will have large scale distribution.

	But I hope you will prove right....		8^)


						f.p.




