Microsoft breakup proposal sparks Web chat frenzy

Message boards and chat rooms across the Internet came alive on Friday after the U.S. government proposed the breakup of software giant Microsoft Corp. into two companies to curb its monopoly power. Reactions ranged from serious concern to jest to downright indifference over the future of Microsoft after the proposal by the U.S. Justice Department and a number of states to separate the company's Windows operating system and software applications businesses into two unique companies. "Now they will actually have to innovate rather than just copy code," wrote one chatter in Yahoo! Inc.'s StockWatch chat room. "Bill Gates should buy the U.S. and lease it back," another one quipped. Still, many participants agreed that the government's proposal was extreme and doubted any serious impact on Microsoft's dominance in the software market. -- Reuters