Microsoft Facing European Sanctions

Shakrai writes "CNN and Money Magazine are reporting that a draft decision by the EU committee overseeing the Microsoft investigation appears to recommend fairly severe sanctions against our favorite software company. The article states that the ruling will likely force Microsoft to offer a second version of Windows without 'built-in audiovisual software' (Windows Media Player) for EU customers. While this sounds like a good thing, the article also mentions that Microsoft has an appeals process and will likely get an injunction against enforcement while they pursue said appeal, which may take years."

Comments

stinks of hypocrisy

[Anonymous Coward]

Advocates of free software claim to be advocates of freedom. If this were the case, they would only attack Microsoft on those terms. The WMP is not a freedom issue. If a customer doesn't like Windows prepackaged with WMP, there's nothing stopping that person from acquiring another OS.

This is just a bunch of government busibodies telling you how to run your lives.

Re:Why stop with Media Player and MS

[michael_cain]

I think MS should have a baseline windows, for like 50% off retail price maybe, that a user can pick if they want. Unless the user asks for it, I think most people will be willing to pay extra to have everything preinstalled and ready to go. Its all about ease of use, If you know how to use it on your computer you can go just about anywhere else and use it on another, thats what MS provides.

I'm saying that you don't need sarcasm because what you've proposed is almost a viable competitive solution to the MS monopoly problem. Make that baseline Windows available at 50% off the price for whatever class of customer is buying it: 50% off retail for an end user, 50% of the "wholesale" for an OEM, and create a new category of buyer, the software packagers and resellers (give them the OEM price probably). As you point out, most users don't want to have to choose and install all the usual apps. This way they can still buy the bundle -- the only difference is that MS isn't the one deciding which apps to bundle, the individual resellers (and in some cases the end user) are. The consumer still gets complete bundles, but now has a choice between bundles.