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EU's Mind 'made up' on Microsoft
Alain Williams writes "The BBC reports that Microsoft could soon be facing multi-billion euro fines and other sanctions for breaking European competition law.
The European Commission has finished drafting its decision in the case it brought against the software giant." Let's just hope that the EU can fine them cash and not accept Microsoft coupons like the US does. Clearly the best solution to an operating system monopoly is to give free copies of windows to school and eliminate the competition as early in the education process as possible.
With an 80% gross margin, I guess it won't hurt them that much... Especially with Bush's obvious support, EU will have to be somehow less severe (maybe indulgent).
Trolling using another account since 2005.
I mean, I love you baby, but you just keep fucking up. Don't make me hit you again. If you'll just make an OS that is easier, more accepted, and more compatible with the tools we've been using for years, then I'll *use* it, baby. But if you're just gonna keep crying about monopolies and sneaking money out of my wallet while I'm sleeping, then you're gonna get the damned belt again.
Got me?
By al means include a media player. Just don't force us to install it and (maybe?) don't allow them to force their own propietary codecs into the market by exploiting the Windows monopoly. Not that they would ever do a thing like this, of course.
if you're european, i can understand you wanting england, if you're english, i have no idea why you'd want europe.
--- any post that takes longer than 20 seconds to write, isn't worth writing
I'm sure that the EU will distribute these funds to the poor windows users who were so abused, right?
Or will it just sit in an EU bank account to help pay for trips, cars, etc. for the EU ranking members?
Can we say "cash grab"?
Casual Games/Downloads
The UK has always been a relatively marginal member of the EU, what with all of their constant whining about NATIONAL SOVEREIGNITY. Now giving Bill the BIG DUB kind of miffed them. So they got pissed. They said to themselves, how can I express my anger without going back to THE BOMB. Cause now they are friends and lovers and they quarrel instead of really fight. But they are too inhibited to even have a COLD WAR among themselves so they have a LUKEWARM war and so they says to themselves, looky here, if Queenie E wants to call Billy G a big K daddy, then we will say BUGGAR OFF YE OLDE ENGLIGH FLIBBERTIGIBBETS! And so they are going to fine Microsoft instead of overtly expressing their repressed rage and jealousy that those damned lucky English royals can still confer such an obviously silly but oooooh-I-want-one-tooooooo-oooh-come-on-Queen-I-am -worthy-tooooo-pleeassse-oh-I-am-not-going-to-lowe r-myself-to-actually-ask-damn-damn-dammit-grommit kind of HONOR.
The vast majority of computer buyers and users just want to take that machine home switch it on, surf the internet, listen to music, watch videos and play games. For them, their is no line between OS and applications, and that's the way it should be. If I buy a jacket, I don't want to shop around for a zipper and have a hard time to apply it: I want it bundled.
For those people the computer is a tool, not a machine to play with it for it's own sake. I drive my car not for cruising, but to go somewhere (sorry, should not remind of MS's slogan). I know (suppose) there are better cars, but I don't want to spent the money and the time to find out.
And then get no blue screen of death, poor driver support, and non dolby digital audio. Fantastic, sign me up.
Anonymous Cowards - Oh God, How I hate you
If they go to fine MS, I hope MS pulls all their licenses then starts sueing all the EU businesses for breaking their licenses...Then they will get paid for pulling their software and people will be fvcked.
THat would be perfect - take that you Euros.
I guess Honda is evil for integrating non-open-standards air conditioning units into their vehicles! Honda is the Satan!
Get a clue!
evil adrian
Wait, I'm confused. Is Linux a viable alternative to Windows, or isn't it? Oh, and isn't Linux free?
And what about the Mac? What about Free/OpenBSD? What about the dozens of niche OS's and hardware vendors?
It's absolutely laughable to claim Microsoft has an OS monopoly. Truly, it's beyond laughable, it's insane and ridiculous.
What useful technology has come out of Europe in the last 100 years. Nothing. The telephone. No The internet. No The Unix OS. No The Windows OS. No TCP-IP. No The GUI. No The Aeroplane. No The lightbulb/Electrical Networks. No So where is the great Euro Innovation that everybody keeps talking about. All that Euro is gaining money off any more is selling their past, but charging people to come into Galleries.
Welcome to the dark ages Europe. If you think that your businesses can stand with out the Windows backbone, try it and see. You will find that your population hates having to have an expert setup their Linux Computers. And you will also find that people hate the over priced Mac OS.
Also many of you keep saying with out Microsoft there would be capitalism. Excuse me but did you miss a couple classes in your Macro-Econ classes. Because in the market, the consumer decides what they want, and the consumer has picked Microsoft. What you are proposing is as a qausi-Capitalism/Socialism and I guess that is the limited thinking that has kept Euro on the back burner all these years.
Let's just hope that the EU can fine them cash and not accept Microsoft coupons like the US does.
I have about as much hope of that as I do of Slashdot admins participating in the meritocratic moderation system instead of adding their two cents directly to the stories they approve.
I know you're only on dialup and every extra page you have to load is a nuisance, CmdrTaco, but would it kill you to post the story, hit the reply button, and not type in your personal opinions until THEN?
Fuck you, cock sucker. You can lick my sweaty ball sack.