among broderbund is major direct competitors in the consumer software segment were microsoft, Davidson&associates, sierra-online,learning company,maxis,MECC,and Edmark. (exhibits 7,8 and 9 present recent marketing and การเงิน data on these direct competitors) despite the proliferation of these direct competitors, broderbund believed that its products most favorably with respect to product features and quality,reliability and ease of use, brand-name recognition and strength in distribution channels, and, to a lesser extant, quality of support services and price