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Microsoft Softens Up On Competition
shaneFalco writes "The BBC is reporting that Microsoft, prompted in part by their recently legal woes in the European Union will allow vendors to set non-Microsoft applications as the default on Windows computers. This initiative is part of a dozen 'tenets to promote competition' that the company is adopting in the face of stiff criticism of business tactics in Europe. Other tents include not retaliating against businesses that promote non-MS software, and a relaxing of restrictions on licensing Windows-related patents." From the article: "The principles might mean that some manufacturers will promote search engines other than Microsoft's own, Mr Smith said - an apparent reference to Google, which has looked to be on a collision course with Microsoft over search engines. 'There are certain steps we can't take that would have been permitted a decade ago,' the executive added." We touched on this announcement yesterday, but details on the '12 tenets' were less clear at that point.
How precisely do they propose to differentiate between "retaliation against a computer maker" and "business decisions" due to any other little thing the maker may do that they decide they don't like?
What makes you think they mean it? The fact that they have admitted the practice should convince you they can do it again.
As in so many cases in the past, this is just another damage control press release and no one should expect change. In the court prooven case of DRDOS, they planned both the technical and PR attacks in advance. In that case, internal emails show they programmed Win3.1 to error out for anything but their own DOS and planned to astroturf the newsgroups to blame DRDOS. It worked and DRDOS failed. Ditto Netscape, Word Perfect, Correl and all other private "competitors". When a new net nasty takes out every corporate network, they issue statements about how "security is job 1" and hype their patches. Now that they are being tagged by the EU for trying to lock down the world of media and computers in general, they issue this bogus and confusing release. They think they can talk their way out of anything.
They need a good old fashion hanging judge to say, "For getting smart, boy, I'm going to double your daily fine until you comply." The lenient stance of the Bush administration and the EU so far are just short of ludicrous. In the mean time, I'm waiting for sales of Vista to tank and the sun to finally set on M$ and non free junk.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
No, they are more than welcome to pony up and pay the cash. They can also distribute applications that communicate with Windows Server as long as they honor the terms of the license they agree to with Microsoft. Ooops, I forgot, OSS advotaces only like it when everyoen has to agre to their terms, not when they have to agree to everyone elses terms.