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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.
Sure, YOU can, but until now most OEMs were contractually obligated not to change the defaults to non-MS alternatives.
Having OEMs ship with non-MS defaults is big, because the vast majority of users will pretty much stick with default settings in most cases.
This is not about consumers changing settings on thier own computers. It is about letting manufacturers change the setting on machines that they sell to the public with Windows installed. The real reason that this is a big deal is because most users (those who do not read /.) are not going to go through the effort to track down a replacement for Windows Media Player and then set it as the default for all files. This is especially the case when MS makes it so WMP bugs the crap out of you if it is not the default for everything under the sun.
I just went through a bunch of hits from Google news as well as the TFA - hundreds of stories all saying Microsoft has published these 12 tenets, not one actually listing them. WTF?
Oh no... it's the future.
1. The first principle goes to the installation of any software.
"We will ensure that Microsoft will design Windows in ways that make it easy for people to add non-Microsoft features," Smith said.
No. 2 is easy access: Computer manufacturers are free to add icons, shortcuts and the like to the Windows Start menu and other places used to access software programs so that customers can easily find them, Microsoft said.
No. 3 is defaults. Microsoft will design Windows so as to let computer manufacturers and users set non-Microsoft programs to operate by default in certain categories, such as Web browsing and media playback, Microsoft said; computer manufacturers can set these defaults as they please when building new PCs.
No. 4 is exclusive promotion of non-Microsoft programs, Smith said.
"This is an important new issue in regard to things like media and Internet search, as we are broadening to adopt this for Internet search as well," he said, indicating that Microsoft's fierce competition with Google aside, the company is dedicated to this principle.
Guru Jakob Nielsen offers advice on designing applications for usability. Click here to watch the video.
No. 5 is business terms: Microsoft will not retaliate against any computer manufacturer that supports non-Microsoft software, Smith said.
To provide transparency on this point, Microsoft will post a standard volume-based price list to a Web site that is accessible to computer manufacturers, as it has under the U.S. antitrust ruling, he said.
Principle No. 6 deals with APIs. Microsoft provides the developer community with a broad range of innovative operating system services, via documented APIs (application programming interfaces), for use in developing state-of-the-art applications.
And the U.S. antitrust ruling requires that Microsoft disclose all of the interfaces internal to Windows called by "middleware" within the operating system, Smith said.
Principle No. 7 involves Internet services, where Microsoft is contributing to innovation in the area of Internet services with services that the company calls Windows Live, Smith said.
"Microsoft will design Windows Live as a product that is separate from Windows. Customers will be free to choose Windows with or without Windows Live," the company said.
No. 8 is Open Internet access, where Microsoft will design and license Windows so that it does not block access to any lawful Web site or impose any fee for reaching any non-Microsoft Web site or using any non-Microsoft Web service, Smith said.
Principle No. 9 is "no exclusivity," Smith said.
The U.S. antitrust ruling provides that Microsoft may not enter into contracts that require any third party to promote Windows or any "middleware" in Windows on an exclusive basis and Microsoft has pledged to continue this, Smith said.
Next Page: Microsoft's pledges.
Principles 10 through 12 deal with interoperability for users and say that Microsoft will make its communications protocols available for commercial release, the company will generally license patents on its operating system inventions, and the company is committed to supporting industry standards.
Oh no... it's the future.
OEMs have been able to change the defaults since the settlement of the US Antitrust case. Which is obvious if you've seen a Dell from the last few years.
"We touched on this yesterday, but the 12 tenets weren't clear at that point ... ", so we touch on it again tdday, but still fail to provide the official URL to the actual 12 tenets (a URL which was released yesterday, so the 12 tenets were indeed clear).
Anyway, here's the official link:
Windows Principles: Twelve Tenets to Promote Competition
(Note that according to the text, the tenets are in keeping with and following the spirit of the MS/USDOJ settlement, rather than having to do with EU fines (though the latter likely played a role).)
-- "I never gave these stories much credence." - HAL 9000
Other articles on this subject state that Microsoft intends to publish a volume-based price list for OEMs. As long as they conform to that price structure, they can't be accused of retaliation.
Mmmm.. Donuts
Sorry to break it to you, you're not a capitalist. Capitalism is primarily about the private ownership of the means of producion. Under the free market school of capitalism, which is what the US follows, anybody who is making disproportionate profits, like MS, is rapidly brough back into line by the competition. If the market becomes distorted by a monopoly or a oligopoly, it is the duty of the government to bring the balance of power back into check so the the free market may operate. The approach you describe is called anarcho-capitalism, that's the brilliant school of thought that leads to depressions and support for it basically all but died in 1930s.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws-Plato
Mmmm.. Donuts
Set Program Access and Defaults was definitely NOT in Windows 98.
It was added to Windows XP in SP1, and in Windows 2000 SP3. And it certainly does not allow one to set a default search engine.
As for setting a search engine, TweakUI for Win9x allowed you to set a non-MSN search engine for Internet Explorer, going back to IE5, if I recall corectly. I have no idea if TweakUI for Windows XP lets you do this, but considering IE7 lets you select a search engine in the exact same way Firefox does, I'd say they've finally done something ok.
Which reminds me of why MS started "giving away IE. As was determined at the anti-trust trial, MS gave IE away "to cut off Netscape's air supply." Netscape sold its browser, and it was the standard when I first got on the internet in 1995. How long would Chrysler stay in business if GM decided to destroy Chrysler by giving away GM cars--and had pockets deep enough to do it? Not long. And that's how long Netscape stayed in business. MS decided to destroy Netscape's because a) Microsoft was afraid of Netscape, and b) Netscape refused to participate in an illegal scheme to divide up the browser market. Period. An added bonus of giving I.E. away was that MS did not have to pay Spyglass royalties. MS did not write IE from scratch, it liscensed the code from Spyglass, promising to pay Spyglass a percentage of IE's sales price. Spyglass eventually threatened MS with an audit & got $8 million. One stone, two birds. MS killed Netscape because Netscape refused to participate in an illegal deal. Why dis MS screw Spyglass? Perhaps it was just MS's way of saying, "Thanks for the code."
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