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States Drop Planned Presentation of Modular Windows
sketchkid writes "CNBC just reported that the nine states have dropped their planned presentation of a version of Windows XP without certain "middleware". Apparently, Microsoft said the news of this presentation blindsided them and that they would need "an indefinite period of time to prepare its response", but the states don't want to prolong the case any more."
"Apparently, Microsoft said the news of this presentation blindsided them and that they would need "an indefinite period of time to prepare its response" you mean prepare its excuse..
You MUST be a troll.
What do you think Microsoft used for Help prior to the Internet and IE? Text files?
I personally don't care about the tying, one way or the other, because I feel it *IS* in the consumers best interest. What I'm against is the legal requirements and collusion that shut out all of Microsoft's competition.
If you think that a functional OS can't be built without the level of integration Microsoft has used, you need to go back to CS 301.
-Chris
[Please forgive my abuse of apostrophe's]
Oddly, this is exactly the same amount of time it would take M$ to apologize to everyone they have screwed over the years.
Ok, and now suppose that the Judge rules that Microsoft must offer a modular version of Windows. In consequence, that would force them to remove Windows off the marketplace.
Now what would that do to the market? Suppose Microsoft even begins to work on a real modular version. That would take years, and then consumers, developers and software programmers would be left in a rift. Arguably, the software industry (both games and applications) would collapse.
People don't understand interoperability of software. For example, just think about how many games and consumer hardware would stop working on Windows if DirectX were removed! Similiary, the same thing would occur if it were possible to remove all remnants of Internet Explorer code.
This whole case is a joke. I mean seriously. Microsoft is a buisness. Buisnesses are created to generate revenue, i.e. money. When one has a good idea and goes with it. Others think the idea is good and come up with there own leagal versions creating competition. How else do you kill competition? You result to The Art of War. You go about legal means to get the point across that you are the better of the competition.
Microsoft has done precisely this. They have followed Sun Tzu's teachings like any "good" business prfofessional would do. Business is war. Capitalism is war. Survival of the fittest. No holds barred anything goes so long as you win. What you call strong-arm tactics and bullying, I call fighting a battle. How else would Microsoft have the money they have if they didn't make the deals with the OEM's.
You can say they threatened OEM's all you want. I Don't think any threats really happened. You are blowing this up to somthing it never was. Take this for an example. You own a company. What you do is sell computers to consumers. You originally sign an agreement with Microsoft to have Windows installed on your systems. In this agreement you agree to a series of terms that give you the ability to have Windows in all its form and grace. Now you decide down the road you want to break a few of these terms. Microsoft is going to respond with, "if you do this you will be in violation of our agreement and hence will be taken to court because we had a valid contract that you agreed upon."
This isn't a threat. This is simply Microsoft enforcing the rules you agreed upon. YOu break the rules and you lose your license to Windows and MS and you go outta business. Slow death. You could run Linux on all your systems, but most OEM's deal with consumers who are typically computer morons, so showcasing an OS that #1 isn't an industry client standard and #2 wouldn't run the applications that are compatible with the standard. What I mean by that is, you have kids who want to play the latest Warcraft 3 for example... you go buy it but can't get the damn thing installed because you are computer illiterate and have no idea what OS you got. ALl you know is it looks pretty and has a penguin as its mascot.
Slow death.
You can call Microsoft anything you want, but it will never change their position in the market as #1. It doesn't matter how many peoples opinions you change. Linux isn't a client standard like Windows is and never will be. The only head way Linux will make is as a workstation or as a server but never on the client level. Clients are rulled by the computer illiterate who want somthing that works and has great Product Support for their volume. (Stop, read that last sentence again so you don't freak out and go OMG, WTF, HDH)
Well that is all I really have to say but on a closing note. Ever notice how communistic pure OSS individuals are. Everything free, everything equal. Communists had this ideaology. Where if your neighbor had a car, you had a car. If they had a house, you had a house. Now really think about this one. Communism doesn't work that well. If you have doubts about that. Go back and read your history books.
~Admrlnxn
"I got your mom in my trunk"