Microsoft is accused by EU again

Zagu

Wasn't sure where to post this, but thought it would get the best response here.

Microsoft is accused by EU again

The European Commission has accused Microsoft of harming competition by bundling its Explorer web browser with its Windows operating system.

The commission said it had reached the preliminary view that the US software giant had undermined consumer choice and infringed EU rules.

Microsoft and the European Union have engaged in legal battles over competition issues for years.

Last year, the EU fined Microsoft 899m euros ($1.4bn; £680.9m).

Browser battle

In its statement on Friday the Commission said: "Microsoft's tying of Internet Explorer to the Windows operating system harms competition between web browsers, undermines product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice."

snip...

Are the EU suggesting that Windows should be nothing but a core operating system, with no utilities to perform the basic functions of a PC? To me it seems like a badly thought out proposal filled with EU bitterness towards MS, as without a browser, many people will not be able gain access to other available browsers.

People have the choice to download another browser as soon as they are connected to the internet, so there is full freedom as to what people use. If they don't do it because of lack of know-how, I don't see how that's MSs' problem.

I'm not looking forward to the day when I do an install, and then have to hunt around the internet for the best individual utilities. Windows has most of what you need, and most can be substituted if you so wish. I believe that the EU should leave MS to do as they wish, as they are not forcing anyone to do anything, but I think there is a real chance that the EU might cause serious damage to MS, or cause MS to take an overly cautious stance within the EU, so we end up with Windows Lite.

Either way, I think there's an air of bitterness about it all from the EU, and a hypocrisy as to what the EU stands for.

Millionaire

I read this earlier today and I have to agree. Its not like your forced to use it after initial setup and you can download and use whichever browser you like. They are just using the whole "Monopoly" thing to get some cash to fill their coffers.

BillScarab

I always thought it was something to do with the way it was so tightly integrated with the OS but I do find it ridiculous that they are still going on about this. Things like Firefox and Opera are hardly unknown these days.

Will they be doing the same to Apple for including Safari or the various Linux distributions that include a browser?

[Deleted User]

Without a pre-installed browser you can't get online

There's a lot of applications other than IE that use the components that tie IE into the operating syste, it's not Microsoft exclusive.

I might write a calculator program and then try and sue for one being bundled already..

Halloway

This latest round of MS-bashing has been instigated by Opera.

These are the W3C browser stats for December:
1 Internet Explorer 7.0 30.82%
2 Internet Explorer 6.0 27.26%
3 Firefox 2.0 15.06%
4 Firefox 3.0 13.73%
5 Firefox 1.5 1.92%
6 Safari 3.1 1.24%
7 Safari 3.0 0.82%
8 Opera 9.2 0.71%
9 Safari 2.0 0.52%
10 Mozilla 1.9 0.51%

So IE has 58% and Firefox has 30% of the market. Admittedly the Firefox figures are higher overall because Linux users do not run IE but nevertheless it's hardly like IE has a monopoly. And look who's near the bottom: Opera. This looks like sour grapes from a company who cannot market their browser properly.

PROLIANT

Oh here we go again, make way for the anti-Microsoft brigade!
Windows is a proprietary operating system, so Billy Gates is getting penalised because his software is good?
Microsoft is not stopping anybody downloading a third-party browser on to the Windows platform, this has got beyond of joke, and hope Mr Gates finds a way of getting back at these feeble Muppets at the EU guvvy.
Strange world we live in. :rolleyes:

BillScarab

Halloway wrote: »

This latest round of MS-bashing has been instigated by Opera.

These are the W3C browser stats for December:
1 Internet Explorer 7.0 30.82%
2 Internet Explorer 6.0 27.26%
3 Firefox 2.0 15.06%
4 Firefox 3.0 13.73%
5 Firefox 1.5 1.92%
6 Safari 3.1 1.24%
7 Safari 3.0 0.82%
8 Opera 9.2 0.71%
9 Safari 2.0 0.52%
10 Mozilla 1.9 0.51%

So IE has 58% and Firefox has 30% of the market. Admittedly the Firefox figures are higher overall because Linux users do not run IE but nevertheless it's hardly like IE has a monopoly. And look who's near the bottom: Opera. This looks like sour grapes from a company who cannot market their browser properly.

Good point, however that preumably does't include console browsers like the one on the Wii which is Opera!

[Deleted User]

PROLIANT wrote: »

Oh here we go again, make way for the anti-Microsoft brigade!
Windows is a proprietary operating system, so Billy Gates is getting penalised because his software is good?
Microsoft is not stopping anybody downloading a third-party browser on to the Windows platform, this has got beyond of joke, and hope Mr Gates finds a way of getting back at these feeble Muppets at the EU guvvy.
Strange world we live in. :rolleyes:

To me, it looks like those in the EU want a bit of money in their coffers to ride out the credit crunch and since Microsoft have massive amounts of money and a continuing profitability projection they're targeting them. What happened to fines last time, where did they go?

robredz

That's the EU for you! if they can't tax it they will try to fine you. Bunch of unelected morons the lot of them. Mind you if someone tells them they could have a pop at Gnome for Nautilus and KDE for Konqueror which are both Linux file managers and basic browsers.

Zagu

anewhope wrote: »

To me, it looks like those in the EU want a bit of money in their coffers to ride out the credit crunch and since Microsoft have massive amounts of money and a continuing profitability projection they're targeting them. What happened to fines last time, where did they go?

You may be right. Last time MS got hit, it was €900m. By comparison, they did contribute more than many EU countries that year.