Microsoft Settles with Be

   This weekend, Microsoft announced that it reached a settlement with Be. The settlement, which is awaiting court approval, will end Be's years-long antitrust lawsuit, which alleges that Microsoft illegally forced Be out of the market.
   Under the settlement terms, Microsoft won't admit any wrongdoing and will pay Be more than $23 million, after legal fees. Be will agree to end litigation against Microsoft. All other terms of the settlement are confidential. Microsoft noted that this is the second private lawsuit the company has settled this year (Microsoft announced a settlement with the state of California in January).
   Be began life as an Apple Computer competitor in 1990, eventually offering multiple-processor multimedia computers and an advanced OS. In 1998, after losing a bid to become the next OS for Apple, Be moved its OS software to the Intel platform and tried to compete with Microsoft. In February 2000, the tiny company announced an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft, alleging that Microsoft's illegal business practices destroyed Be's business. Be was the second company, after Netscape, to sue Microsoft as a result of the software giant's federal antitrust case.