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More misery for Microsoft? | |
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||
| Time: 14:21 EST/19:21 GMT | News Source: CNN | Posted By: Byron Hinson | ||
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The end of Microsoft's antitrust legal battle with the European Union may soon be at hand. Fifteen European nations agreed unanimously Monday to back a plan by the European Commission that would impose a fine on Microsoft and force it to change the way it ships its Windows Media Player software to computer manufacturers. A final ruling is due on March 24. | ||
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| #1 By 8556 (12.217.169.94) at 3/15/2004 2:44:28 PM |
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The solution will be more of a problem than necessary. I currently load three additional players on PC's that I sell. This gives the user a choice of Apple Quick Time, Real Player, Microsoft Media Player, or Music Match. The end user can decide what to use. Slapping Microsoft with this stupid penalty might feel good to the lets-do-something-to-show-we’re-in-charge crowd, but it benefits no end user.
Hey Euro-bureaucrats: Why not make it mandatory for customers to think for themselves? Nah, that’s too hard to do. You politicians think that all people are stupid. It's best that you Euro-bureaucrats think for them. |
| #2 By 18033 (211.26.193.94) at 3/15/2004 3:32:35 PM |
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If I bought a PC from you Id be thoroughly annoyed, having to remove all this software I didnt want.
First of all, since the latest service packs for XP and 2000, there is a new option to completely remove media player from the computer by ticking a checkbox. Maybe they should go the extra step, and not install it by default, but allow you to install it by ticking the checkbox in add/remove programs, in any case, its VERY easy to remove, and installing another media player can take over file associations so Windows Media Player doesnt run by default, whether you choose to remove it by or not. Maybe it would be good to provide all the installers for your customers, so they could choose which one they want to install, but actually installing them all for your customers in my mind is worse than what MS have done. |
| #3 By 1896 (68.153.171.248) at 3/15/2004 3:51:05 PM |
| Mr. Monti and his affiliates never end to surprise me. How can MS has a monopoly in the Media Player field when the Italian most important newspaper and the three channels of the Public broadcasting only use RealPlayer and in order to access their data you have to install the most intrusive piece of garbage I have seen in a long time? It is time to send home these incompetents. |
| #4 By 3339 (64.160.58.135) at 3/15/2004 4:12:49 PM |
| Speaking of incompetence, why don't you actually take the time to learn the facts, Fritzly? The EC is not ruling that Microsoft has a monopoly in media players but rather that it is using its monopoly OS and its ties to its media player (not to mention its relationships with OEMs) to unfairly leverage that position to greater success in the media player market. |
| #5 By 2459 (24.175.141.98) at 3/15/2004 7:15:50 PM |
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#6, They could call it the Reality Distortion Field.
They already seem to use similar technology. :-) This post was edited by n4cer on Monday, March 15, 2004 at 19:16. |
| #6 By 1896 (68.153.171.248) at 3/15/2004 7:18:27 PM |
| 4) Sodajerk I read European newspapers and magazines every day so I am very well aware of what they say. Cogito ergo sum. |
| #7 By 18033 (211.26.193.94) at 3/15/2004 8:18:11 PM |
| #8, Sodajerk is spot on, you brain must be on the fritz.... |
| #8 By 12071 (203.185.215.149) at 3/15/2004 9:19:10 PM |
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Quite honestly, I'll be suprised if they manage to think of an appropriate penalty that will in any way stop Microsoft from pushing WMP via their OS vehicle. Any fine, even if it's $1 or $10 billion isn't going to hurt Microsoft in any way, and the removal of WMP will be countered by Microsoft in some other way. e.g. Selling Windows with WMP at the same price (or cheaper) than Windows without WMP (I can see them claiming that to produce another version of windows will actually cost more money!!) or they will entice OEM's to automatically put on WMP etc etc.
#6 The future of Microsoft? Hardly! They are meeting to decide on a punishment. And you're right they shouldn't do it in "secret" as you apparently put it, it should be all out in the open... and I'm sure it will be once Microsoft do everything out in the open too. I mean, fair's fair right! #8 Go read those european newspapers and magazines, that you apparently read, again! I think you'll find the case is about Microsoft (once again) illegally using their monopoly in the desktop OS market to push their media application. |
| #9 By 3339 (64.160.58.135) at 3/16/2004 11:13:43 AM |
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chris, I actually just said OS instead of desktop OS because the EC is equally pursuing Microsoft's use of its position in the client AND server market in the media player AND media server market.
Also, as for this being a Star Chamber -- yes, we might not know what's going on, but the EC has been running this through the courts for over a year (because they are afraid of it being overturned), running it by the member nations of the EU (because they need to aprove it and just did), and they've allowed Microsoft about 50 opportunities over the past year to craft the penalties themselves because they want to do everything to avoid it seeming like a decision coming out of a dark and locked room. I would say it's quite the opposite of a Star Chamber. |
| #10 By 8589 (66.169.175.50) at 3/16/2004 12:53:58 PM |
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This is too strange for words. I have on my system, besides WM9, Roxio Player + Real Player 10 + MediaSource 2.x (Creative Labs) + Winamp 5.x
What is all this crap about? Lawyers that should be chicken pluckers, instead of lawyers, that's what. ROFLOL |
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