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EU Launches Yet Another Antitrust Probe Into Microsoft

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the getting-probed-always-a-bummer dept.

Connor writes "The EU has announced a new wide-ranging antitrust probe into Microsoft's practices of bundling software with Windows, as well as whether its products interoperate sufficiently with competitors' products. 'The first area of investigation will concern interoperability of some of Microsoft's products, including Office 2007, the .NET Framework, and some of Microsoft's server products.' The other prong of the investigation is a response to Opera's antitrust complaint, but will look at other products, too. 'The Commission will also look at desktop search and Windows Live as well in addition to other products. The EC says that its investigation will "focus on allegations that a range of products have been unlawfully tied to sales of Microsoft's dominant operating system."'"

5 of 373 comments (clear)

  1. Microsoft tactics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Here is more info on EU Launches Yet Another Antitrust Probe Into Microsoft

    http://spamslashdot.myminicity.com/sec

  2. Re:Poor Microsoft... by davidsyes · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Ground beef... heheheh Chuck, roast, prime round, round eye, UP CHUCK...? If you equate their leadership to Star Trek's mad admirals, you can start corporate Mad Cow DisEase...

    And if you DHCP their ass and bind an address, you'll be bound to grief on their ground beef.

    (The Anti-Trust can keep steaming along. I'm pro-DIStrust of them. But, I AM happy that vista runs inside my VirtualBox-equipped PCLinuxOS2007 computer. Installed without too much of an issue, just about 45 minutes, 2 or 3 virtual reboots, and some minor tweaking (turn of UAC, need some vid drivers, need to activate the NIC or find a way to share files tween Linux and Blista...)...)

    --
    Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
  3. Re:Shudder... You haven't been probed until... by davidsyes · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Byung-Gu gets ahold of your rear with his phallic, silver, steam-delivering alien anal probe.

    He says, "See this here?... It's headed for a special place..." LOL!

    He says no one has been able to stand it for more than an hour (I suppose he meant ALIENS, not humans...), but at least he lubes the thing. When it arrives on screen, it's a stunner. If you live in SF, you can borrow it from SFPL. Or, you can buy it online... Funny as hell. Crosses every imaginable film/movie genre in about 2 hours. Can't make stuff like this in the US...

    http://www.kfccinema.com/reviews/horror/savethegreenplanet/savethegreenplanet.html

    http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10004650-save_the_green_planet/

    http://www.loveasianfilm.com/reviews/savethegreenplanet.html

    --
    Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
  4. The stupidity of MS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Microsoft bundling IE wasn't the problem. Microsoft forbidding their customers (OEMs) to bundle other web browsers (and other competing products) was. Your statements make it clear that you do not understand the problem.

    This is what always struck me the most about how stupid it was of MS to engage in this behavior. MS IE has always been, by far, the best browser on Windows. When IE3.02 was released, people were LITERALLY fleeing to it away from Netscape... a browser they had actually paid money for!!

    And from that time until now, IE has always been the most stable browser to use. Now sure, other browsers had some better features (tabs, and... um... tabs... oh, and that acid thing which nobody cares about, too), but just talking in terms of stability, IE has always been the best. Mozilla does a good job of masking when the browser crashes (it crashes and reopens all the windows you had prior to crashing)... but that's just a band-aid on a bullet wound.

    Seeing where Netscape started, it's not that amazing how after all these years, and even after the panacea of going open source, the browser still isn't stable. Polishing a turd doesn't change it's basic nature, no matter how much time and energy you put into it.

    But the logic the EU, and Opera, employ in making a subset of laws which only apply to Microsoft, it just seems really destructive. If I were Microsoft, I would actually challenge the fact that the "you can't bundle" law only applies to them. If they get a 'fair' judgement which says companies can't bundle anything with anything, it would devastate the EU to the stone age. You couldn't sell a TV with a remote control, or a toy with batteries, or a car with a stereo, or floor mats, or wiper blades, or even oil or gasoline. The EU would reduce itself to a collective of nations legally forced to selling everything in DIY kits... with parts made by different manufacturers.

    Just based upon the sheer magnitude of insanity the EU's previous rulings have made, I think they would be forced to backpedal. Otherwise, making Apple unbundle Safari and all their other apps would only be the start of their landslide into anarchy.
  5. Re:Good EU! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    There are more Ford Escort's on the road than Mercedes-Benz CL 600's. Therefore, the Ford Escort is better?