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Windows RT Browser Restrictions Draw Antitrust Attention
An anonymous reader writes "Last week we heard complaints from Mozilla that Windows RT would restrict users' choice in web browsers, unfairly favoring Internet Explorer over alternatives like Firefox and Chrome. Unfortunately for Microsoft, the situation is now on the Senate Judiciary Committee's radar, and they will look into claims that Microsoft is engaging in anti-competitive behavior. That said, it could be a difficult case to make, since Windows RT is destined for ARM-based tablets, and Apple currently dominates that market. 'When it comes to proving abuse of monopoly power, an important question is determining the market in which a monopolist has power — the relevant market, in antitrust legal terms. In the [late '90s] DOJ case, U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's findings of fact concluded Microsoft had a monopoly in the market for "Intel-compatible PC operating systems." Windows on ARM doesn't run on x86 chips, so by Jackson's standards, Windows RT hasn't been judged to be part of Microsoft's monopoly.' Microsoft addressed some of these issues in a blog post in February."
All the browsers available in the App Store are just wrappers and skins on the Safari browser engine, except Opera Mini, which runs the browser engine in the cloud to escape Apple's banning of running Javascript(or any other JIT code).
That's why there is no Firefox or Chrome(or even IE ;) for iOS.
This space for rent.
I don't know whether you're a) using sloppy terminology and are just flat-wrong, because there are other browsers available for the iPad b) you're using accurate terminology and being misleading, because hell no Apple does not allow you to replace the system-level browser engine, but that's not at all what Microsoft is doing.
All "other browsers" available on iOS are wrappers around WebKit. You can't use your own engine there.
Nope.
Win RT only allows for Metro apps (aside from Office and IE). It's NOT the same as x86 Windows.
The power of x86 tablets is that they will run REAL Windows and can all Metro AND classic apps. Win RT is a subset of Windows.
Please remind me what Apple's stance on browsers for their iDevices is.
Right...
What's Apple's share again? At least 90%, you say?
Right...
What's Microsoft's share? 0% in ARM tablets?
Right...
But Apple hasn't done this before! What? They kept certain OS functions reserved for Safari?
And Microsoft gets flak for disallowing other browsers in desktop mode? How often is an ARM tablet user going to use desktop IE? Other browsers are still allowed on the store, so it's not a case of locking other browsers out.
I guess that depends how you define "browser". If the definition includes the engine, and you're not permitted to choose which engine your browser uses, then that lack of choice may be a legal problem.
"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
That's because Apple has spent a lot more money on political campaign contributions than Microsoft.
Citation? Brief search so far has indicated that's completely false.
So how much did you pay for your copy of IE?
Browsers weren't always a free add-in.
Same for cd and dvd burning software, same for video playback software, same for anti-virus software, until MASV (Microsoft Antivirus for DOS 6.0) - the one that (arguably correctly) identified the upgrade program for Win95 as a virus.
Microsoft is quite happy to dump product at zero retail to kill the competition.
Let's call it what it is, Anti-Social Media.
Now if MS made the platforms that run it's various operating systems, they could mandate what software ran on it. IE only, no problem W8? You got it!
That makes no sense whatsoever, and in fact Apple does not make its hardware, Foxconn does and they make it in agreement with Apple and these new Windows 8 tablets will be made in agreement with a number of OEMs, only difference is those OEMs will also sell the devices, in Apple's case it is Apple who sells the devices.
The really funny thing is that people are demanding to run whatever software they want, and Mean old Apple is evil, and everyone is picking on poor old Microsoft.
No i think most people see both situations as being perfectly fine, there is an abundance of choice in the market and it is not controlled by any one particular company. The comparison to Apple is raised because they are the majority leader in the market and they do exactly the same thing and most people (including the DOJ) have no problem with that.