Microsoft

In his June 21 letter, Mark Maxwell offers a very humorous rationale for considering Tiger Woods a monopoly. “His rivals are intimidated,” Maxwell wrote, “and are afraid to compete, and viewers are forced to watch.” Although I laughed aloud at the comparison to Microsoft (especially the idea that Tiger should be split into two golfers), the comparison really doesn’t fly.

It would be valid only if Tiger had bullied every single tournament organization into allowing him as the only player to set foot on the course. That didn’t happen, of course, as we were able to watch other golfers actually “compete.”

In the case of Microsoft, we really have no other choice available. It has bullied computer makers into bundling vastly inferior Microsoft products with the Windows operating system. Only one company is allowed to profit. That is a monopoly and we are directly hurt by it.

PAUL W. BAKER

San Francisco