Good as well as bad news for Microsoft on the legal front. Their good news is that a judge has rejected Go Computing's claim that Microsoft used dirty tricks to keep it out of the operating system market. However, their bad news is that an EU committee ruled on Monday that Microsoft failed to comply with a landmark antitrust decision, paving the way for fines of up to 2 million euros a day, a source familiar with the situation said.
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Member since:2005-11-11
//Oh, what, and saying that Microsoft is "evil" is a well-founded statement?//
Two points:
(1) I haven't said that. All I say is that they broke the law.
(2) Some people would have it that to break the law is evil. Who am I to say one way or the other?
Having said that, I must say, I really don't like it when some large company is trying to force me into a position where I must use their product - particularly when there is every indication that they include things in their product that are demonstrably against my best interests even though I am the one paying for their product.
Member since:2006-07-04
Did you mention at all whether or not you do use Microsoft products?
If you are using Mac OS X or Linux, can you please give an example of any way in which this whole anti-trust issue has affected you?
Granted, any examples you provide (or fail to provide) may not represent the greater population, but I'm interested to see why you're so adament about this.
EDIT: Oh, and I wasn't specifically saying that you had said "Microsoft is evil", just noting that it had been mentioned in this discussion. And that is my reference to "being bad-mouthed".
Edited 2006-07-04 04:44
Member since:2005-11-11
//Did you mention at all whether or not you do use Microsoft products?
If you are using Mac OS X or Linux, can you please give an example of any way in which this whole anti-trust issue has affected you?
Granted, any examples you provide (or fail to provide) may not represent the greater population, but I'm interested to see why you're so adament about this. //
Basically, it is my living, my job, that depends on not falling into Microsofts proprietary lock-in.
I not only have to "use" IT products - I have to embed them into larger enigineering systems.
Sometimes I have to make a system that is "supportable for 30 years". Supportable means "obsolesence proof". The only way to demonstrate "obsolesence proof" is to imagine, in the future, that a particular supplier is defunct. Now, in your system, how would you replace the bits that come from that supplier if they break down after the supplier is defunct?
For a computer that is part of one's system - one demonstrates how one would use an alternative computer from a different supplier and port the application and its data to another platform.
Part of one legacy system that I have is already in trouble over this. Part of the software development uses a large database that is in Microsoft Access 97. Already with XP machines the database is not portable - and that is within just the one platform!
I would not have this problem if the data and macros were in an open document format where the data could be ported across platforms and applications to manipulate the data could be made for any platform.
It is going to cost me a lot of time effort and money to fix this problem. The problem has been created for me purely by Microsoft's attempt to lock people (and their data) in to Microsofts platform.
I am specifically tasked to design this type of lock-in out of the systems I design and build. It is my job.
Member since:2006-03-28
Sure, you'll get DDoS - cause you are wrong. It will be same as if you write things like: Green Peace sucks!, Freedom is evil!, Die humans!, Bill is godfather, etc.
Windows is doing illegal by occupying the market, for example gaming market. I use linux everyday, and I don't need windows at all, I can play some games on linux box, but not all of them, and I know a lot of people who is stick with windows only for its apllications support. Games, graphical apps, music editors, CAD systems, etc. All these issues are came from MS's business strategy, it took off the freedom, the freedom for choise. You are forced to buy windows just to use 3rd parties. Don't they ?
Edited 2006-07-04 05:02
Member since:2006-07-04
No, Windows is NOT "occupying" the game market.
There are more and more games available for Mac OS X and Linux.
And there is nothing stopping game writers to include platform support for operating systems other than Windows.
Both Mac OS X and Linux have native OpenGL support, so there is no reason they can't have 3D applications (including games).
EDIT: Interesting video clip I saw the other day. A company is writing a physics engine that utilises the PhysX cards. The engine will be made available to Windows and Mac OS X. So this means that any games that use this engine can be ported much easier.
Edited 2006-07-04 05:05
Member since:2006-06-15
Member since:
2006-07-04
Oh, what, and saying that Microsoft is "evil" is a well-founded statement?
I wonder what the reaction would be if I set up a "Linus Torvalds is the devil 666" page...? Probably get DoS attacks within 5 seconds of publishing it.
Edited 2006-07-04 04:36