357 Million Little Clarifications
from the in-case-things-weren't-clear dept
The story of EU anti-trust regulators fining Microsoft approximately $357 million has been covered to death everywhere, but digging a little deeper raises some questions. Microsoft claims it delayed complying for so long because the specifics weren't made clear. This certainly sounds, to some, like a delaying tactic. If Microsoft just kept going back and asking for further clarifications, they could put off complying. Of course, on the other side of things, those in the world of politics don't always have the best reputation for actually understanding the technology they're trying to regulate -- which absolutely could lead to some confusion. Either way, it would appear that Microsoft now has another 357 million reasons to make sure they understand what the EU is asking of them -- though, from our end, we're still waiting for clarification on how the market has been harmed. Luckily, no one's fining us just yet.
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what did they do wrong anyway?
in all the articles ive seen on it lately it never says what the hell they arent complying with, so i could defiantely see how they could be confused.., it seems so is everyone else, or someone might post what this matter is all over
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Simple
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I never liked Windows Media Player and just clicked on Trusty WinAmp. Now ive moved towares iTunes. I still like IE fine on PC's but if i didnt, i could always get firefox.
So suing microsoft for such things is retarded because other choices are just a click away!
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what would happen if:
there is Linux, after all
m$ should enter a disclaimer that they do not support anything other than the US
then they [the EU] could fine a US company for not including them ! or maybe because m$ wil not put their programs in open source ?
i am not a m$ cronnie or shill
at some point, maybe even m$ will decide ehif is enuf
and tell the EU to take a hike and ban their software
some night, when i am bored, i will do what needs done to make linux [Mandriva] work with my SATA 3 hard drive
then these issue become a moot point for me
the vastness of m$ shows, once again, problems with the users
Windows is not an Operating System as much as a computer environment, and widows is not required to use a computer or even the internet
it just supposedly make it easier for the masses
wasn't it an EU country that gaves us "Let them eat cake"
and isnt the EU now firm believers that they can have their cake and eat it too ?
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Is it...
Not that it's crystal clear...and...
"In April, the Commission's monitoring trustee, Neil Barrett, met with Microsoft. They developed a template for the software maker to enter batches of protocols and created a schedule of deadlines. The templates call for each protocol to start the same way, with a glossary, section on reference works, description of the protocol and how it relates to other protocols, Smith said."
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This is crap...
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More Bullsht!
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Sounds like Microsoft and the W3C
Sounds like their excuses for not implementing CSS 2 in IE 6 and 7!
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Governments Have Always Been Corporations
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ya
i feel bad for microsoft, they SHOULD tell the EU to go fuck themselves and pull out but then they would lose out on alot of sales over there, and also it would strengthen linux, and that strength would transfer over to other countries also
the only thing holding linux back is that 3rd party vendors of hardware and software dont support it for SHIT because its cheaper and easier to just support windows, which is the most popular anyway
thats why the linux comunity has to go to such lengths to support windows apps on linux (wine) and wrap windows drivers use use on linux (ndiswrapper)
if MS moved out of europe linux would gain ALOT of support worldwide
i dont like windows but i think what the EU is doing to MS is freaking laaame
they are being punished for being too successful
they are being forced to give out trade secrets and IP for being too successful
and they are being forced to pay out over a billion dollars now? for being too successful
630+ 357 + ~4 million a day.. thats overa billion in just a few days ;)
absurd
guess this is the cost of being a successful international software company
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We will all pay
Worry more about how much more we will pay for our Microsoft products to cover this lawsuit.
Don't count on anything that the french had their hands in. They screwed up measurements with their stupid metric system, this suit is BS like the rest of the EU poppycock.
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a-holes
MS knew exactly what they needed to do and knew exactly what the consequences could be. So why in the world would anyone think they should not be fined for not complying? Why is MS all of a sudden above the law? Think about it... if you get several warnings because what you are doing is not complying with a certain law and fines could be imposed because of it... would you expect NOT to be fined if you didn't comply?
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Ban non-compliant products from sale
The only way to crack the whip at Microsoft is to ban them sales territory. Microsoft products that do not meet EU requirements should be banned from sale in those territories. Microsoft have plenty of other products, both hardware and software, so it's something they could cope with.
Fining them money is nothing more than a show.
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Simple enough for MS
MS will consider that amount as the cost of doing business and added to the cost of the product. MS will still make the same profit levels as before.
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Re: Simple enough for MS
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you want to see stunned europeans ???
i have my own issues with m$, and doubt seriously i will move to VISTA when it is available. Mandriva is my favored flavor of linux, which I don't believe is a US corp [Mandriva].
The EU is nothing in my life. I will live my entire life within the continental US [hey, AC, I am from Pittsburgh, PA..lol].
m$ did what m$ always does. Tried to strong arm the EU powers. It should have stayed within the US.
Throughout history, different parts of the world have developed technologies that are more dominant to their cultures.
why should m$ be singled out instead of Ford Motor Corp [i hate these stupid car thinggies].
Sorry, EU...your significance is watered down when you cross the ocean.
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Microsoft
Reverse engineering is extremely time consuming and a waste of a lot of money when a programmer should be able to look up a standard, program around it, and have their product be interoperable with any other program that is also based upon that standard.
From what I understand Microsoft has been known to make slight adjustments to their code to break interoperability with others also. Whether it was a mistake or on purpose it has the same outcome.
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Re: Microsoft
I can see that corporate meeting.
Hey lets take this language that is gain popularity due to the fact that it works on every platform and make it only work on MS products. Step 2: profit!
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French Fried OS
That and they need to change the US version so that anytime the user picks "francais" as the default language, well, then it should automatically reformat the user's hard drive as a security measure. Why? Because I'm still ticked off at the French government making us fly several extra hundred air miles in 1986 to bomb Libya. And because I'm sick of having to read things in two languages on any Gillette product. So yeah, to achee-double-hockey sticks with the Canadian French bozos too.
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Re: French Fried OS
And if you don't like to read things in two languages on products, get out of your oh-so-f*#!ing precious 50 states sh!thole... your country is only a pubic hair away from being run by your Southern neighbors (I hear you're getting so scared and sh!tfaced a fence is in order). Or just switch brands... oh wait.. there's no 100% USA made product out there anymore. Gee, I wonder why.
Putain!
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Market Harmed by Microsoft
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