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MS Exec Testifies In Favor of OS Manipulation

Niscenus writes: "The NYTimes, where free registration is required, reports that a Microsoft VP, Christopher Jones, explains that Microsoft must be allowed to prevent competitors' programmes from being installed for the consumer's best interest. Most interesting quote: 'In his written testimony, Mr. Jones said the states' proposals would confuse consumers, enabling competitors to cover up icons like the "Start" button on the Windows desktop screen that consumers use to navigate and even allowing a competing operating system like Linux to start up instead of Windows.' Any dualboot LiLo user who learned they can't defrag the hard way can understand this ..."

5 of 636 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Well. That throws me off the fence. by bman08 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I learned "the hard way" that I can't have my toaster, fridge, washing machine and microwave on the same circuit. If only maytag could have been there to stop me.

  2. Excuse me! by Loundry · · Score: 5, Funny

    Instead of posting stories about Microsoft and its gayness

    Pardon me, sir, but I am gay, and I certainly take offense to being likened to anything Microsoft-ish.

    --
    I don't make the rules. I just make fun of them.
  3. Learn from History. by chris_sawtell · · Score: 3, Funny

    It was exactly this sort of nonsense which was the root cause of the French revolution. The parallels
    are there. There will soon be another revolution in the US and this kind of thing will be sorted out most effectively.

  4. A jury of one's peers by ottffssent · · Score: 5, Funny

    Alright. The DoJ clearly isn't doing a good job. The states' case is just going to be appealed anyway and likely won't do a very good job either. Why don't we just apply the same standards you and I would be held to? Let's get together a jury of Microsoft's peers. Let's see here:

    1) Microsoft is an OS vendor. Sun, Be (what's left of 'em), and Apple ought to be there.
    2) Microsoft is an office apps vendor. Lotus might like a seat.
    3) Microsoft is a video game console vendor. I'm sure Sony and Nintendo have some choice words.
    4) Microsoft provides internet service. Let's add AOL/TW.
    5) Microsoft provides a web server, a database, a mail server, and other such apps. Let's get someone from the Apache foundation, Oracle, Sendmail, and what the hell, the Samba team too.
    6) Microsoft writes a lot of buggy code, so let's get an old Netscape exec in too to round out our dozen.

    I'll bet we'd see some substantive remedies then!

    Before you complain that Be is hardly a peer of Microsoft, consider how 12 upper-middle-class white folks can be considered peers of a poor black woman.

  5. Re:The Soviet Union was Good by Skuld-Chan · · Score: 3, Funny

    Thats not so bad - I wouldn't mind being assigned a new job after losing mine in the .com bomb.