Antitrust Trial Not Hurting Microsoft's Image Among Americans

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- While many computer industry leaders and the Justice Department would like to see the power and dominance of computer software giant Microsoft curtailed, a majority of Americans believe Microsoft's clout has been good for the computer industry, and a plurality take Microsoft's side in its highly publicized lawsuit with the U.S. Justice Department.

That trial has resumed in U.S. District Court in Washington after a 13-week recess, during which attorneys for both sides were unable to reach a settlement. To the extent that they have an opinion, Gallup polling over the last several months has shown that the American public tends to side with Microsoft in the case. Only about one in four Americans take the government's side, while 42% take Microsoft's position that it has not tried to unfairly drive competitors out of business. Among computer users, 47% agree with Microsoft's position. Support for that position generally runs consistently along age, race, and political lines, with slight increases shown for the government's case among blacks, liberals, and women.

Despite the fact that Microsoft has been embroiled in the case for more than a year, there was no sign that the trial had affected the image of the company among the American public up to the time when the trial was put on hold in March.

When Gallup interviewers asked Americans in late March whether Microsoft has had a positive or a negative impact on the computer industry, 80% of those polled chose the positive alternative, including 89% of those who use a computer at home, work, or school. In addition, six out of ten Americans said they have a favorable image of Microsoft. That percentage was down slightly from a 66% favorable rating the company received in early February -- in the middle of the widespread press coverage of the government trial in Washington. But in March, 1998, when Gallup first asked about Microsoft, its favorable rating was 58%, virtually the same as today.

There is also significant public support for Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates, widely believed to be the world's richest man. Nearly six out of ten Americans have a favorable opinion of Gates, with the percentage even higher among computer users (69%). As is the case for the Microsoft Corporation in general, there has been little apparent impact of the Justice Department trial on Gates' image in the eyes of the American public. In March, 1998, when Gallup first asked about the billionaire, his approval rating among the general public was 55%, very similar to what it is today.

While there has been some discussion among industry leaders that the trial should result in the breakup of Microsoft into several smaller companies, over two-thirds of Americans -- 69% -- said in a March 1999 Gallup poll that the software giant should be left as is. Only 21% said that it should be broken up.

The results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,078 adults, 18 years and older, conducted March 30-31, 1999. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Thinking about Microsoft -- the computer software company that produces Windows 95 and other products -- do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the Microsoft Corporation?

	Favorable	Unfavorable	No opinion
99 Mar 30-31	60%	14%	26%
99 Feb 26-28	58	16	26
99 Feb 8-9	66	16	18
98 Nov 13-15	55	17	28
98 Mar 6-9	58	13	29

Now thinking about Bill Gates -- the founder and CEO of Microsoft -- do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Bill Gates?

	Favorable	Unfavorable	Never Heard Of (vol.)	No opinion
99 Mar 30-31	59%	18%	1%	22%
99 Feb 26-28	62	16	4	18
99 Feb 8-9	66	18	3	13
99 Dec 28-29	66	16	7	11
98 Nov 13-15	56	18	3	23
98 Mar 6-9	55	16	3	26

As you may know, a lawsuit by the Justice Department against Microsoft is currently being tried in court. Based on what you know about the case, do you side more with -- [ROTATE 1-2]?

	99 Mar 30-31	99 Feb 8-9	98 Nov 13-15
1. The Justice Department (or with)	26%	28%	28%
2. The Microsoft Corporation (or with)	42	45	44
BOTH/MIXED (vol.)	2	2	1
NEITHER (vol.)	4	4	7
No opinion	26 100%	21 100%	20 100%

The results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,021 adults, 18 years and older, conducted March 5-7, 1999. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Just your opinion, should the U.S. government [READ AND ROTATE 1-2]?

1. Force Microsoft to break up into several smaller companies (or)	21%
2. Allow Microsoft to remain as it is (or)	69
No opinion	10 100%

The results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,013 adults, 18 years and older, conducted February 26-28, 1999. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Overall, do you think that Microsoft has had [ROTATE 1-2]?

	99 Feb 26-28	98 Mar 6-9
1. More of a positive impact on the computer industry, or	80%	75%
2. More of a negative impact on the computer industry, or	8	8
NEITHER (vol.)	3	3
No opinion	9 100%	14 100%

Just your opinion, is Microsoft a monopoly, or not?

	99 Feb 26-28	98 Mar 6-9
Yes	49%	43%
No	38	41
No opinion	13 100%	16 100%
(vol.) = volunteered response