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Of course, MS was a bad boy just like Nintendo once was. But nowhere near the grotesque image being paraded by the media and MS' competitors.

What competitors?

"The proposed settlement required Microsoft to share its application programming interfaces with third-party companies and appoint a panel of three people who will have full access to Microsoft's systems, records, and source code for five years in order to ensure compliance. However, the DOJ did not require Microsoft to change any of its code nor prevent Microsoft from tying other software with Windows in the future."

Wikipedia

LOL

The check is in the mail for DOJ.

Nah, it's in the mail for euro-crats.


I also like how they only deal with the people mentionned in TC and not the entire market.

It's because MS has to answer to the Technical Committee ("TC")

Microsoft is already compliant. We're seeing Dell ship Linux boxes and Intel has open source drivers, etc...

Now stop hating. Otherwise bad karma will get you later on in life.

;P

"Nah, it's in the mail for euro-crats"

Thats punishment not paiement , its still them paying money do.

"It's because MS has to answer to the Technical Committee"

Microsoft as to answer to the US law , who cover the entire US market. If the paid DOJ and Microsoft made a deal to exclude some participants , it need to be revisited and corrected.

"Microsoft is already compliant."

The report dont even say that , it say Microsoft is being watched and they have done some of it they felt like doing but the moajority is still in the work.

"We're seeing Dell ship Linux boxes and Intel has open source drivers, etc... "

It as nothing to do with Microsoft. Dell dont ship GNU/Linux on all its boxes like it does for Microsoft , Its an anticompetitive move for Solaris , BSD and GNU/Linux ( there is more then one OS who Microsoft is illegaly blocking from reaching potential clients by illegal move and means ).

"Now stop hating."

I enforce the law , I know you like your criminals way , but dont mind me if I do my best to stop you.

"Otherwise bad karma will get you later on in life."

Karma dont exist in law. Laws are simple you follow them or have them change with legal means , you cannot break them or disregard the one you dont like.

::The check is in the mail for DOJ.

:Nah, it's in the mail for euro-crats.

checks are a US thing we want money wired in to the bank account

Dell selling Linux boxes? Try ordering one on the website. Oh yeah, you can't.

1. http://www.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/precn_n?c=us&...
2. http://www.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/optix_n?c=us&...

Did you actually check before you spouted off crap?

when I go to the link I see linux machines.. but when I go one link up.. to Small business, I have to click on Workstations, then there is ONE link to the side for "Linux workstations" when you try to look up the SAME workstation numbers under generic workstations they have the same model numbers with no mention of Linux in sight... the models you showed have a special "n" designation to the model number... that's not exactly support. And there's no way to compare them to the Windows versions.

I guess I missed the "office workstation" one. I actually went and configured one of their XPS series for home use. Stupid me.....I actually picked one with some hardware that someone other than a cubicle jockey would use.

Seriously, I'm glad Dell is "offering" Linux, but shouldn't they at least make it an option across all product lines, not in some obscure panel link? I'm not a fan of their website, or computers, by any means, but I'd rather go with a version of linux other than the totally useless Windows MCE.

Those facts are that Microsoft is a monopoly

The EU said "near monopoly" which proves that even a bunch of corrupt bureaucrats didn't have the gall to tell too big a whopper.

http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1...

If its a "near monopoly" it isn't a monopoly.

near monopoly

In the sense that the oceans don't have a monopoly on open water. It's just that the rest of the water is statistically insignificant and most of it ends back up in the oceans no matter how hard it tries to escape.

Edited 2006-11-22 21:39

you don't have to have nearly the market position Microsoft has to get accused of monopoly practices. I work for a small steel mill that has only 3 plants and is probably a drop in the bucket of US total steel production... but because of our niche position, when automakers put the price crunch on their suppliers a few years back we nearly got investigated by the DOJ for "monopolistic" practices because we were able to raise our prices without the customers leaving freely. The point is that they even got taken seriously by the DOJ for such a small company.... and Microsoft isn't under their thumb?

That Microsoft has gotten out of lawsuits for as long as they have is amazing lawyering if anything. And still fundamentally, they haven't had to answer to the "Dells" of the world for the illegal rebates, price fixing, required number of units bundled, and such...they got their "top 20" customers taken out of the judgement...the only 20 that really matter!!! like I said, my company barely HAD 20 customers that could complain and we got threatened... MS is getting off Way easy.

"Those facts are that Microsoft is a monopoly"

Uh no, the fact is that it isn't. Lets quote Wikipedia (everyone else is doing it):

"In economics, a monopoly (from the Latin word monopolium - Greek language monos, one + polein, to sell) is defined as a persistent market situation where there is only one provider of a product or service."
"Monopolies are characterized by a lack of economic competition for the good or service that they provide and a lack of viable substitute goods. [1]"

Apple, Linux, Solaris, *BSD etc are all competitors to Microsoft and there are viable substitutes so Microsoft do not have a monopoly.
They do have an unhealthy market dominance, arguably achieved by unfair and unethical means, but that is NOT the same as having a monopoly.

(Edit spelink)

Edited 2006-11-23 09:11

I worked for a company that got threated with a monopoly suit for "fixing" prices of one type and grade of steel bars... even though steel is a HUGE market and my company probably doesn't make a fraction of 1% of steel in the USA, they could still be sued because in their small niche they might have been a monopoly, or at least "monopolistic". There were only about 50 customers involved and the DOJ took it seriously... what the hell is wrong with them versus Microsoft?

For some reason Microsoft has managed to keep their shady dealings out of the courts for far too long. In the REAL world you can't gag your customers from debating a contract lawfully in court!!! Think about that. Companies like Dell (and about 20 others) are so economically dependent on Microsoft they can't even produce evidence.. even when lawfully supeoneaed... to Federal courts!!! If that's not monopoly power what is?

"how much microsoft paid the gouvernement?"

Maybe the same as Symantec, McAfee, and Adobe paid the EU?

"you tries to say that Microsoft does not misuse its monopoly?"

I did not say that at all. It was directed toward the unfounded accusation they paid off the DOJ..that has not been proven.

"you are surely an american"

Yes I am actually. What does that have to do with anything? I just found it funny thet the EU looks into things when big money American companies asked them to.

"EU don't need money, it just try to apply the law"

If they do then I am all for it. The DOJ does the same thing.

EU don't need money, it just try to apply the law

Which law says Microsoft can't bundle a media player with its OS?

The EU made it up.

no, they looked at the facts. fact is that while Microsoft has almost always included a Media player, several years ago, they attempted to make THEIR player the only one that would work... I clearly remember the days when you could install quicktime or realplayer, but as soon as you opened one file with WMP, it would overwrite your settings and take over the system. When the suit was first started, the only way to get back your quicktime or Realplayer was to completely reinstall it! There was no "prefered" application button. The same happened with IE versus Netscape.. as soon as you opened IE one time, it would make itself the default browser again. Not much point in getting your software out there if Microsoft can disable it whenever they want. It was the media companies that pushed the suit, so they got their issues addressed. The companies that are truly harmmed like Dell, gateway, HP, Compaq... keep their mouths shut like good little battered women should.

They've all tried repeatedly to get the super secret OEM agreements brought into court and Microsoft manages to wiggle out every time on a technicality...Why does Microsoft NEED a SECRET contract if they have 90% of the market? They ARE a monopoly, whether they abuse it or not, secret contracts are really an invitation to abuse! Too bad BeOS didn't push harder...because they had MS dead to rights when companies were forbidden from installing their OS by MS... even though BeOS had a launcher that got around a bootloader, and found nearly every loophole in the OEM contracts (didn't need to be in a bootloader, could run as an app, could reboot the computer into the BeOS from a shortcut, etc), MS still illegally threatened the OEMS not to install it. It almost should be illegal to settle a case where there are criminal implications...that's the trouble with the US legal system. as long as there's no "judgment" made then the case can't be used for legal evidence or precedent... that's wrong. The Be people had the critical piece of info the DOJ needed to break the MS case wide open. And MS buried it by paying them off.. cheap too!

you tries to say that Microsoft does not misuse its monopoly?

you are surely an american

Many, many Americans have been insulted here.

normal everybody hate american

It would be a great thing if one time, just one time, the accusations of corruption were substantiated.

"It would be a great thing if one time, just one time, the accusations of corruption were substantiated."

No doubt. I agree wholeheartedly.