Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for November 08, 2023

Rule number 1: ALWAYS LISTEN TO ALEX!

Those of us who were in the industry at that time remember that there were startups whose sole business plan was to be bought out by Microsoft.

The current administration in DC shows signs of life when it comes to enforcing the anti-trust laws that have been on the books since the days of Teddy Roosevelt and his trust-busters.

I’d take the money and run…

Ah, man. I remember when this ran. In just a couple of days, Alex will go through “the change”. No, not that one. It’s a change that only happens in Doonesbury-world. If you know, you know. If you don’t, wait a couple of days. I had always liked Alex a lot. I found her a fun, appealing character. But once “the change” happened, her entire personality changed with it. I never found her very likeable after that. I still miss this version of her.

and start a new company

Betcha if Mike and Kim DO make a fortune, JJ and “Uncle Stupidhead” will be front and center with their hands out!!

I was waiting for this one in this arc. Always loved Alex’s “let’s be rich instead.”

Should have taken $ and MS stock.

I’m not a big fan of Microsoft at the moment, since they seem to be actively destroying every useful piece of software they ever made. But, for a guy who doesn’t understand what his company actually makes, being bought out by them is just obviously a good deal. Take the money and let them deal with the eventual collapse. Of course, unlike Mike, I know the dot-com collapse is coming and which companies survive it.

The reality is… don’t fall in love with your product. You made it to make money, not be your child forever.

Alex’s understands that… sadly, Mike doesn’t.

Ah yess… the heady days of Qemm, XTreePro and Dr. DOS

The kid has good business sense. Start a new company after the weekend celebration.

There were so many small software startups back then, now only a few mega conglomerates, I still wonder what would have happened had they been left alone.

Microsoft lost a patent suit and had to pay an expensive settlement. It found that it was cheaper to buy out the company’s stock, replace the board, dismiss the settlement, transfer the patent to itself, and dissolve the company.

I’d like to put bill gates in a lifeboat with trump, in the North Atlantic.

Saturday, at the latest.

We were the hardware side of the “revolution”. On one hand, our company was safe. No one wanted to buy us out. They needed us, sure, but didn’t need to own us.

On the other hand, no one wanted to buy us out…

Somebody c harter a bank that doesn’t use computers and goes back to the old fashioned passbook.Just to see how many gravitate back to it.

I’ll bet that Larry Page and Sergei Brin didn’t feel any irrational emotional attachments to their own cybernetic child.

3rd panel. Has Alex grown a goatee?

Ah yes. The beauty of capitalism.

Alex is wise beyond her years. I hope she is still living.

Hurrah! Alex is back!!!

Netscape was the perfect example of this.