However, none of these respondents wrote in to tell us why, leaving the survey's naysayers to dominate the discussion.
The 44 percent who answered "no" to the question repeatedly warned that the deal would strengthen the market stranglehold of the Microsoft-Intel alliance.
"Sure, it would be great to find everything you need from one vendor," reader Frank Pinzin opined. "But when that vendor kills its competition, where does our choice go? Who's to say that Compaq will provide the best systems?"
His sentiments were echoed by another reader who preferred to remain anonymous, perhaps fearing reprisal from the newest bully on the PC block.
"The technology options that the combined [company] would present are still limited," this respondent said. "There are other tech pioneers and a monolith would have the characteristic slowness to respond to the market."
