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Windows 7 Eyed For Antitrust Violations

Preedit writes "The committee that oversees Microsoft's compliance with the 2002 antitrust settlement now has its hands on Windows 7. The Technical Committee is checking to see if the software meets the settlement's terms. Among other things, it's looking at whether Windows 7 favors Microsoft apps over third party programs, according to InformationWeek. The story also notes that Vista SP1 includes a number of changes that were added to satisfy the committee. For instance, it eliminates several browser overrides where Vista ignored users' default preferences and automatically launched Explorer. Windows 7 is due sometime around 2010."

4 of 290 comments (clear)

  1. Re:You could always.. by techpawn · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Downgrade of course!
    Downgrade should be in quotes when referring to vista...

    I love the software that says "Can be run on Windows2000 or Greater" Which includes Linux and OSX but not Vista...
    --
    Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what your country did to you
  2. i just don't get it by ImTheDarkcyde · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    I just can't figure out the issue. Windows ships with IE, OSX ships with Safari. Because more people use Windows, Microsoft should remove its first party program and OSX shouldn't?

    I know what the real crying is about, and can sympathize that third party solitaire and redundant media players have no market, but I don't want to pay for a stripped down OS.

  3. Re:Who cares by The+Spoonman · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Is it that Microsoft is deliberately making 3rd-party software work less well?

    It couldn't POSSIBLY be that the 3rd-party software is crap, is it? I recall a conversation I had with a vendor last year in which they claimed "well, our app actually IS a lot faster using SQL than Oracle. But, that's because MS 'cheats' so their apps run faster on their OS, of course." All I got back was crickets when I asked "couldn't it also be that SQL is designed to work on one platform and is therefore optimized for that platform? Oracle, on the other hand, works on dozens of variations of platforms, hardware, processors, etc and isn't optimized for any of them."

    In the age of Google, there is no such thing as an "undocumented API". Since the APIs aren't hidden, there's some developer somewhere who's figured out what it does and how it's used. Having worked with enough development teams, I'd be more inclined to believe that anything that's undocumented has more to do with the typical development statement of "oh, right, we rewrote the whole app...did anyone bother to tell the docs team that we made changes?"

    Never attribute to malice that which can be attributed to mismanagement.

    --
    Which is more painful? Going to work or gouging your eye out with a spoon? Find out!
    http://www.workorspoon.com
  4. Re:How about Apple? by rob1980 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Because they're not Microsoft, therefore they get a pass.