The Sun - Microsoft Settlement.

(From Technews.com)

Byline: Jonathan Krim

Sun Microsystems said on Friday that it had reached a sweeping, $1.6 billion settlement with Microsoft Corp. and said it plans to cooperate with its longtime nemesis, a company it had branded an unrepentant monopolist.

Washington Post staff writer Jonathan Krim was online Monday, April 5, at 1 p.m. ET, to discuss the settlement and the historic rivalry between the two firms. A transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Jonathan Krim: Hi folks. Welcome to the live online discussion of the Sun/Microsoft deal. Lots of questions already in the queue, so we'll get right to it.

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Westford, Mass.: Why is it that Microsoft's success makes so many enemies in the competitor market place, and when the competitor begins its business death spiral, they hook up with their once identified nemesis to secure some measure of assured success. i.e., Sun, Apple, Netscape, etc...

Jonathan Krim: Well, what has made several of Microsoft's enemies is that it has often broken the law in the way it competes. But Microsoft has survived those legal setbacks with little harm to its business, and its dominance has grown. Eventually, some of those rivals have decided it is better to make peace.

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Tucson, Ariz.: Having a degree in economics, I believe in the process of creative destruction. As a …