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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."
It's really too bad they didn't add enough features in Vista, and need another version to do this.
I look forward to the 1,500 new options that will be available in group policies. I think I will understand most of these before Windows 8 is delivered.
Meanwhile, what do I do with this Glass Turd?
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
Actually, that is the whole crux of the EU arguement, Microsoft DID force people to buy Windows... in particular PC manufacturers. If you wanted ANY machines with Windows, ALL of your machines had to be Windows. You wanted any Office software, it had to be MS Office or else no Windows which means no PC's.
Amazing how people blatantly ignore this.
Karma Whoring for Fun and Profit.
It'll be the Year of the Linux Desktop (tm).
I prefer Flambe as apposed flamebait.
"it's looking at whether Windows 7 favors Microsoft apps over third party programs"
Doesn't Apple very heavily lean towards Apple software?
(This isn't starting flaming, this is a legitimate question - what separates Apple from Microsoft in these regards?)
"For instance, it eliminates several browser overrides where Vista ignored users' default preferences and automatically launched Explorer."
Yup, just try clicking on a link in a Messenger conversation with or without Vista. You get IE, like it or not.
If Microsoft had solid competition, there would be no problem. The issue as it stands is that Microsoft has a monopoly on the Operating System business. Because of that monopoly, Microsoft can crush nearly any competitor they want in other areas by ensuring that their own software works better than the competitor's software. Examples of this include:
- Windows Media Player provides a superior Windows experience than RealPlayer
- IE provided a superior browsing experience on Windows over Netscape Navigator
In both cases, Microsoft effectively wiped out those company's markets by giving the software away for free. Which meant that Real and Netscape could no longer charge for their software.
Now one can argue that Microsoft produced superior products to both company's offerings. And there would be truth to that statement. The problem is that Microsoft ensured that there will never again be competitors in either space. Microsoft effectively wiped both markets out of existence and forced consumers to accept higher costs for Windows to subsidize those markets. Even worse, there is then zero incentive for Microsoft to innovate in either market. So consumers pay higher prices when no new development is happening in those areas.
While some balance is returning to those markets thanks to Apple and Open Source, the damage done has been extremely negative for the industry, with the WMV pseudo-standard and the IE pseudo-standard locking out competing OSes for nearly a decade. From an economist's point of view, the OS, multimedia, and web-browser markets would be a lot farther along today if Microsoft had never managed a stranglehold on these markets.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
You MUST run iTunes
.mp3 file, and load it onto the player of my choice (including ipods)
Hmm.. My ipod I sync with Amarok (on ubuntu). Sure I can't download podcasts and stuff from the itunes store, but it will play any supported media on my player (mp3's).
My Fiancee has a laptop running windows 2000. Her brand new ipod nano requires version 7.4 of itunes, which won't run on windows 2000. She is doing fine using Winamp!.
Your logic is completely backwards. If i want DRM'd content from the apple store, I must use itunes, and an ipod. If I don't want to access that content, I don't! Just like if I want DRM'd content from Microsoft for a zune.
If I want to purchase MP3's legally online, I go to amazon.com, purchase the
What are we going to do tonight Brain?
[
Oh, so you think that all software that Microsoft is not charging you for is free?, it is not! Every customer that buys Windows is paying for all applications that follow with. By locking their customers in with their built-in software which is mostly in the way they are missuisng their monopoly.