And if you dont pay up, or play ball, just remember what we did to AT&T.

So apple is going to incorporate AI into the next phone OS.

But, not their own, but instead, googles.. the one that was so woke they had to take it down after launch. 

Please don't tell me you miss the bell system.

Wed Mar 27 2024 14:37:04 EDT from Nurb432

just remember what we did to AT&T.

My mother was a LD operator. In the 60s and 70s.

So ya, i do.  They got screwed. 

Wed Mar 27 2024 17:58:31 EDT from msgrhys

Please don't tell me you miss the bell system.

 

Well my father tells me things got much better after their monopoly was busted up. I don't understand why you would approve of monopolies.

Wed Mar 27 2024 19:21:11 EDT from Nurb432

My mother was a LD operator. In the 60s and 70s.

So ya, i do.  They got screwed. 

Wed Mar 27 2024 17:58:31 EDT from msgrhys

Please don't tell me you miss the bell system.

 

Being part of it and growing up with it, i totally feel it got worse afterwards. Not better. Scattered incompatible systems, standards, chaos..   Personally i think one controlling company was needed in order to have a cohesive standardized communications system.  Also, they were under so much scrutiny and regulations they could not sneeze without approval. So there was no 'run away greed/etc' happening from them. They were not allowed.  They were even forced to put x amount back for research. ( And dont get me started on the great things bell labs did, which would not have been possible any other way )

They also cared about their employees. And their families. That all went away after the breakup too.

Now, to be fair, perhaps its not as critical today as it was then due to ISO type standards, but could you imagine back in the 70s 20 different phone systems across the country that didnt talk to each other? Or every company having their own kind of phone  ( cough * cellular today * cough )

And i still have a piece of the bell logo thinige that was on the building from Indianapolis, in a piece of Lucite. All the employees got to keep a piece of their history after the breakup and subsequent renames for the baby bells. And a necklace thing from one of the x-year employee awards. ( remember those? you got honored for being around .. not just a paycheck )

Oh, and in my attic, a couple of aluminum signs from phone booths..    

Wish i had not broke m pens as a kid. Never imagined they would be special someday ( ball point. top had a clear piece with some oil, and little bells that would float around ).  Or the in-house engineering magazines she woudl bring home for me to read. Why i ended up being an EE. 

And did i mention they helped pay for my college?  

Sorry, i'm a fan boy. Always have been always will be.  Nothing will change that. 

Wed Mar 27 2024 20:25:35 EDT from msgrhys

Well my father tells me things got much better after their monopoly was busted up. I don't understand why you would approve of monopolies.

 

I dont remember it being a true breakup, just more of a irritant for some of the business units.  But mostly business as usual, just not as overt. 

But i was pretty busy in 2000, so could have missed some of the details.

Tue Apr 02 2024 13:35:20 EDT from IGnatius T Foobar

. Just look at what happened to Micro$oft in 2000. DOJ went after them, broke them up, then they megabribed the new incoming admin who reversed the divestiture.

i must have totally missed that. But since it never really was executed, i can see why i missed it at the time.

All i remember is the browser related stuff.