Apple exec: Microsoft should be broken up

Apple Computer senior vice president of software engineering Avie Tevaniantook the stand on Monday in the historic antitrust trial against MicrosoftCorporation. Tevanian, who joined Apple with Steve Jobs from NeXT, allegesthat Microsoft forced Apple to bundle IE with the Macintosh and attemptedto get Apple to drop development of QuickTime for Windows (an Apple mediatechnology). In fact, Tevanian says that Microsoft went to PC hardwaremanufacturers such as Compaq and convinced them not to use Apple's mediasoftware. Tevanian says that the Redmond giant needs to be stopped at allcosts.

"Microsoft has used its control of certain critical application programs toimpede competition with Microsoft's popular Internet browser, Internet Explorer," Tevanian said in his written testimony, which was released lastweekend. "Once Microsoft dominates the market for Internet browsers, it will use that power to extend its control over not only the operating system market, but also other emerging markets that rely on the Internet."

Also, Tevanian says that Microsoft CEO Bill Gates threatened to halt development of the critical Microsoft Office suite for the Macintosh unlessApple agreed to drop an impending $1.2 billion patent infringement suit thecompany was planning. Apple not only dropped plans for the suit, but it accepted Gates' "offer" to make Internet Explorer the default browser on all new Macintoshes for the next five years.

"Withdrawal of Microsoft's support for its Office for Macintosh program would have [had] a devastating effect on the Mac OS," he said.

Attorneys for Microsoft attempted to have Tevanian's testimony thrown out,but Judge Jackson ruled today that it should be considered. Microsoft officials say that Apple approached Microsoft in March 1997, demanding $1.2billion. The two companies eventually worked out a deal, including thelicensing of IE, a $150 million investment in Apple by Microsoft, and thepublic pledge that Microsoft would continue to support the Macintosh