Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Microsoft Tweaks Desktop Icon Licensing in XP

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the oh-no-someone-did-something-we-don't-like dept.

jeffy124 writes "Microsoft has made a slight adjustment to their recent change in OEM licensing in a direct response to AOL's hijacking of the desktop. The gist is show MSN's icon too, or don't show any." As jeffy124 points out, this comes, more or less, straight as a reaction to the AOL-Compaq deal.

5 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I sorta see Billy's point... by BorgDrone · · Score: 5

    But after they've sold their product to e.g. compaq or AOL. they should be able to do with it whatever they like.

    to me, this is kinda like a consumer buying a retail windows install, and then finding out he's only allowed to install Microsoft Certified applications on it.

    "Instatallation of Mozilla on this OS is not permitted"
    for now it's only OEM desktops, but when will the rest follow ?
    ---

  2. Double-click by Dr_Cheeks · · Score: 5
    ...the typical user will double-click on whatever icon...
    You've clearly never tried to show my parents how to do anything. Single click? Sure. Triple (or even quadruple) click? Sure. Double click so slowly that you edit the name of the icon? Sure. But a regular double click is a rare beast indeed (yes, I have tried altering the click-speed, but their click-fingers keep changing speed).

    Unless they're clicking on links on a web page of course, and then they double click every single time (despite having been told not to by me repeatedly for the past 6 years).

    --

  3. Re:More Double-Speak by Spoing · · Score: 5
    How can this guy sleep at night?

    On gold-lined silk pillows, while throngs of bare-naked nymphs...well, what would you do with that much money?

    --
    A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
  4. I sorta see Billy's point... by The+Abominous+Salad · · Score: 5

    I mean, it's Microsoft's operating system. They can't be expected to pay licencing or advertising costs to promote their own (other) products, and they can't be expected to miss out on the most lucrative advertising medium, the Windows desktop, just because they happen to own it. There are ways to help competitors out, but telling MS that their own desktop is off limits is like telling McDonalds to sell their Big Macs and McNuggets... somewhere other than at a McDonalds.

  5. hmm... by Mike1024 · · Score: 5

    This case is unique, in that it it the only dispute I've heard of in the computer industry where I actually want *both* parties to loose.

    "It appears that Microsoft is backing off their much ballyhooed itty bitty teeny weeny sliver of flexibility and heading back to the rigid stance that has been slapped down by the second-highest court in the land," said AOL Time Warner vice president John Buckley.

    Gotta love that quote though. People don't use the word 'ballyhooed' anything like enough.

    Michael

    --
    "Goodness me, how unlike the FBI to abuse the trust of the American public." -- The Onion