Microsoft strong arming a vendor into submission? Come on guys to think they would have such malicious intent.
I don't think it is really as malicious as that. MS gives special rates to large manufacturers and part of getting that special rate is exclusivity. If they gave a company a special rate and they break the terms of that agreement I don't think it is malicious to pull that rate, or at least warn of that possibility. Companies should be allowed to use special rates and other incentives to encourage the use of thier product, and revoke said incentives if necissary.
I think the reality of pc's no longer being "IBM" compatible or even x86 compatible but being MS pc's as opposed to Apple pc's or linux pc's changes the gameplan. Microsoft is protecting its interest in the manufacturers that use its os as much as Apple protects what machines can use its os.
The strong-arming I do see is what MS did to netscape, and has tried to do to Sun et al. Making a product similar to but incompatible, giving it away free and then trying to enforce its use, putting the original company out of businness.
