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EU Expands Microsoft Inquiry
Space cowboy writes "The European Commission is expanding its investigation into whether Microsoft has engaged in anti-competitive practices - now it's not just the browser bundling, but also bundling of audio-visual components (such as Windows Media Player). " There's also a Reuters report - what is worth noting, tho', is that the basis for this investigation is in the market for small servers - *not* the desktop market, from what I can see/read.
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I've been running Windows XP for the last couple of weeks. It's amazingly fast and stable. The interface is clean and intuitive. Strange that such an innovative approach to creating a tightly integrated, non-patchwork computing environment should meet with such harsh recrimination. Truly an amazing Desktop OS, maybe the best yet.
I personally cannot believe how Microsoft could do something like this! The bundling of audio-visual components?? An MP3 Player in an OS??? Would NEVER happen in Linux/Mac/BE/etc....
Oh wait... wouldn't that make it a de facto standard for an OS???
If I recall correctly there is a difference between US and EU "competiveness" laws. In the US the question is whether other corporations were harmed. In the EU it is whether consumers are harmed.
It might seem a subtle difference but the EU way allows much wider latitude. They don't need to show that a company was harmed only that consumers choices were limited through MS actions.
ACK
Let's see, here's the total of add-ons you get from Microsoft: 2 - IE and Media Player. Alright then, now lets look at a simple download of Netscape Communicator produced by AOL: The reason this download is somewhat big is because if you try to get it, you get not only Netscape, but WinAmp (another AOL product), RealPlayer, AOL Instant Messenger (what if I don't want to use AOL's shitty software?), and oh yeah, don't forget the AOL icons that go EVERYWHERE when you install any AOL product. Doesn't that piss anyone off in the least? I don't use Netscape at all as my browser because I think it sucks, and especially since AOL bought it out. I have to use Netscape calendar for work, and when I downloaded the Communicator with Calendar, I was able to tell it not to install Communicator, Winamp, and RealPlayer, but there was no check box for AOL Instant Messenger (which I can't use at work), and all of a sudden, bam, there it is on my computer! That and a nice fat "Sign up for AOL Today!" icon on my desktop. Why would I sign up for a crappy service like that? AOL should be the ones getting looked at for anti-competative nature if your going after these things like Media Player from Microsoft...
You wasted packets to get this lousy sig.
So George W. Bush is the greatest president in the world?
Not quite sure where you got that one. Yeah, he happens to be the President of the greatest government in the world, but I would never - never - peg him as the greatest President in the world. He didn't even fairly win the office, and he's done shit with it. $600 tax cut for everybody? Big Fucking Deal: please pay down the debt!
So no, Bush is not the greatest President in the world.
AJS
Has anyone put the bootloader situation forward as an example of Microsoft abusing its monopoly situation? This is the situation where Microsoft can DEMAND that OEM's put Windows and only Windows on PC's. Microsoft explicitly forbids them from dual-booting... allegedly. This point has been raised recently with regards to the BeOS case. The problem is that there is little evidence because the licenses between Microsoft and the OEM's are secret. This is the real scandal, not the browser, media player issue.
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Remember Real had to fight to keep MS from crippling their software. Now Apple has had to do the same thing with QuickTime. Java is toast now.
The thing you are missing is, do you want just one company controlling the internet and the desktop? Once in total control, what would keep them from jacking up the price and restricting content to MS approved content? Remember MS is a very paranoid company and a company that is very much into control.
Tyranny by government is bad, so too is tyranny by corporate interests.
I have a friend who worked for a "non existent agency." He will not use MS now, and is urging his friends who own businesses to switch to other OS's for online communications. Buy a clue people, stop using MS for anything online. Industrial espionage is very widespread, and MS makes it very easy for you to be victimized. He can't go into detail, but when he warns us not to do something, we listen.
Be very wary of using MS for doing any business outside the US. Just don't do it.
Real Player shouldn't be probing your info, but they are not doing what MS is doing to you and the business community worldwide.