EU Threatens Microsoft With Antitrust Sanctions Yet Again

from the keep-going-and-going-and-going-and-going dept

The EU is going after Microsoft again. Already it has gone after the software maker several times in recent years for various things, such as including a copy of Windows Media Player in Windows XP, and for making Vista too secure. It's looked for some time like EU regulators simply have it out for the company. This time, Neelie Kroes & Co. are threatening to fine the company $4 million per day for failing to make certain technical information regarding Vista available to its competitors. It's a little hard to figure out what's actually going on behind the scenes here. Microsoft, of course, insists that it's been forthright with information, and that the EU is demanding too much. Specifically, it says that the EU wants Microsoft to hand over any innovations that aren't patentable. If this were true, it would set a disturbing precedent, since companies shouldn't be forced to file a patent to keep something secret. Again, There's probably a fairly big gap between the underlying truth and the the war of words that the two sides are playing out in the media. But from the looks of it, it would seem that Microsoft is once again being targeted on questionable grounds.
Hide this

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  • identicon
    Tony, 1 Mar 2007 @ 9:03am

    All i have to say is:

    Owned...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Reed, 1 Mar 2007 @ 9:20am

    Questionable grounds?

    The only thing questionable is Microsoft's business practices! You would think as the producer of the number one operating system in the world they would be a little more accessible, but no.

    They want to re-invent the wheel every 6 years in effect stifling all independent innovation for Windows. It makes me sick and so does this article that would somehow make it out like Microsoft is recieving unfair treatment.

    It is a unfair company period and it deserves any headaches it gets along the way to world domination.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Casper, 1 Mar 2007 @ 9:23am

    You don't have to work well with others...

    You might not HAVE to work well with others, but your going to pay for it if you don't.

    Microsoft has a bad problem with thinking they can do whatever they want. This isn't the 80's, and computers have come a long way. If they don't want to join the rest of the world in making software play well with each other, maybe they need to have their toys taken away. I know we are already in talks of moving away from MS Office, and even have had discussions about leaving Windows.

    If MS didn't over value their products and treat their customers like criminals, maybe they would get more loyalty.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    bigSteve, 1 Mar 2007 @ 9:34am

    re:

    Reed:
    "Deserves the headaches it gets" - You win. This is the stupidest thing I've read today. If Microsoft chooses to "MAKE" something and make it somewhay proprietary then good for them, it's a good business practice move. The EU is being greedy and I think MS should say "Hey... shut up, or we'll stop supporting you. If you want us to pay $4 mil a day we won't and you can't do anything about it."

    Casper:
    "the rest of the world makes software that plays well with others"

    You are obviously not a software developer, computer engineer, or even someone who knows anything more than AOL.

    "we are moving away from MS Office and have discussions about leaving windows" - MS Office rules the world, like it or not. You can leave windwos and all that happens is that you realize you can't support jack squat. Windows is a tool. Microsoft just happened to make their tool required in the workplace. Stop acting so jealous.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Reed, 1 Mar 2007 @ 2:16pm

      Re: re:

      "Deserves the headaches it gets" - You win. This is the stupidest thing I've read today.

      ?? I guess you entitled to your opinion however narrow it might be.

      "
      If Microsoft chooses to "MAKE" something and make it somewhay proprietary then good for them, it's a good business practice move.
      "

      Uhh Sure I guess from a money grubbing point of view you may be right. On the other hand from a cooperative point of view where everyone can participate to make the tool we call computers better then no, thats not good for MS or us.

      "
      You are obviously not a software developer, computer engineer, or even someone who knows anything more than AOL.
      "

      And you are? Give me a break and stop busting balls when you got none.

      "
      - MS Office rules the world, like it or not. You can leave windwos and all that happens is that you realize you can't support jack squat. Windows is a tool. Microsoft just happened to make their tool required in the workplace. Stop acting so jealous.
      "

      Wow your comment really shows us how intelligent you are. If Windows was really a "tool" then it is a very strange sort of tool that has so many licenses and conditions that it is not comparable with any other "tool" in the shed.

      Your egocentric view of the software universe is the exact kind of mentality that prevents computers from becoming the great tools they should be. Jealous? Yeah I am real jealous of MS licensing schemes and how they treat every user as a would-be criminal.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Ajax 4Hire, 1 Mar 2007 @ 9:41am

    I agree but there is no way that..

    Microsoft will loose their dominance in the OS and Office Application space any time soon.

    Where Microsoft will fall short is everywhere else. Microsoft is trying so hard to become more than PC-centric software.

    The landscape is changing. Software is showing up in more places: Cell-phones, PDAs, Cable Boxes, Automobiles, hand-held devices. Microsoft is trying to enter these markets with WinCE and MediaCenter but the cost in hardware, deveolpment and licensing becomes restrictive.

    The small agile companies that can launch and shine with the Open-Source tools will be so inexpensive by comparison. And it is all about the Money.

    In the end,
    a company will do what is needed to make money.

    If you are not in the business to make money
    then you are not in business.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Overcast, 1 Mar 2007 @ 9:47am

    Specifically, it says that the EU wants Microsoft to hand over any innovations that aren't patentable.

    Hitler running things again over there? sheesh

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mark, 1 Mar 2007 @ 9:50am

    Proprietary means exactly what?

    I think it's time to have Airbus forward all their proprietary non-patentable information to Boeing - fair is fair...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 1 Mar 2007 @ 9:55am

    Don't post if you are a complete moron.

    "Microsoft will loose their dominance in the OS and Office Application space any time soon."

    For crying out loud, if I see one more moron spell LOSE with two O's I swear I will kill a kitten.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:03am

    re:Anonymous Coward

    I killed a kitten just because you quoted "loose"

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    TheDock22, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:11am

    Software

    Why should Microsoft have to give up all their code just to appease a few whiny, and fairly insignificant, 3rd party vendors? If they are worried they can't compete with Microsoft, they should either give up or develop a new business plan.

    Microsoft was one of the first companies on the Market to develop an Operating System for the average home user. Since then, they have added great features and made their product much better to be compatible with the expanding market. For 3rd party vendors to cry "It's not fair! We can't compete!" is foolishness. If they really wanted to compete, they need to be more innovative than Microsoft. Also, it's not that hard to compete with Microsoft, look at OpenOffice. Sun has come out with a great line of Office tools that you can open and save Microsoft Documents with. And the Nero MediaPlayer is much better than Microsoft's version.

    All I'm saying is the 3rd party vendors need to quit whining and decide what the next step is. Legal battles like this are hard to win and look silly to the rest of us.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Shane, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:12am

    I got it...

    I got the perfect way Microsoft could save millions, and no, not by changing the shuttle fleet they operate to a different insurance carrier either...

    MS can just stop supporting any businesses outside the US.

    No more internationalization of the OS or Applications, no more time and money devoted to research on new technologies used outside the US only... no more outsourcing to foreign countries, no more.

    Think of all the money they'll save by being a US only company. Make people buy their product in US markets if that's what they still want... keep the money in America, and screw the rest of the world and their back stabbing political bull.

    Their companies can't compete because their companies release inferior products... plain and simple.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Lavi D, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:16am

    Not so Fast There

    This is not new as the Techdirt article would suggest, but a continuation of a four year old antitrust settlement that Microsoft agreed to and has yet to honor. Previously - 3 months ago - the independent overseer, whom Microsoft suggested for the post told the EU that Microsoft had provided documentation that was incomplete, confusing and pretty much useless.

    This means things like Samba and NTFS-interoperability are hindered by MS's inability or refusal to comply with the order.

    Governments, and by inference, their people, have a vested interest in making sure that the OS that is found on 90% of their machines is as open and interoperable as possible.

    Microsoft has two choices - comply or pay the fines. I say hooray for the EU for holding their feet to the fire, unlike the US DoJ

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    TheDock22, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:23am

    RE: Not so Fast There

    told the EU that Microsoft had provided documentation that was incomplete, confusing and pretty much useless.

    How is it Microsoft's fault there engineer's are incompetent? How can documentation be "confusing" if you have an experienced and knowledgeable engineer? It sound like a political move on the EU's part to get more information from Microsoft than was previously agreed to.

    This means things like Samba and NTFS-interoperability are hindered by MS's inability or refusal to comply with the order.

    I don't know where you hail from, but I have a Linux box running a Samba server and all our Windows machines, including Vista, can connect and use all it's functionality just fine. Vista was actually easier to setup and configure with the Samba server than any of the XP machines I've dealt with. I think Microsoft is moving in the right direction.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Lavi D, 1 Mar 2007 @ 11:00am

      Re: RE: Not so Fast There (TheDock22)

      How is it Microsoft's fault there engineer's are incompetent? How can documentation be "confusing" if you have an experienced and knowledgeable engineer? It sound like a political move on the EU's part to get more information from Microsoft than was previously agreed to.

      I think you misunderstood - Microsoft's own chosen guy said that Microsoft's documentation was useless. So if someone that MS trusts condemns the documentation, it's pretty clear that it is MS's fault for not providing proper information.

      On the Samba/NTFS note, last time I tried to mount an NTFS drive on Linux - 6 months or so ago - it required compiling a kernel module with no guarantee that it would not destroy data. That might have been solved now, and all your Linux/MS implementations may run fine (can you chmod on a file in an NTFS mounted drive? You can't on FAT32) but at what expense?

      Microsoft has been ordered as the result of court trial to make that interoperation as simple as possible and they have yet to comply as testified to by their own chosen person.

      It doesn't get more clear than that

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Jim, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:23am

    Hey how do you keep a kitten from walking in a circle?
    Nail its another paw to the floor.

    As much as MS often abuses its product users, and constantly annoys us with security holes even Ted Kennedy would have no problem walking through. Despite its cost Microsoft Office does what MS claims, it works and works well. I don't think I've ever had a problem using MS Suite 2003.

    Vista is another matter but the market will determine what happens to it. The same way the market determined what happened to Windows ME. Not everyone can use Linux easily, or the idiot hand holding of Apple OX, and so Windows is a middle ground that for all its issues function fairly well.

    MS is what it is. Windows/VISTA are all tools that you either use or get rid of, but if you really hate MS use one of the thousand and one Linux OS's out there. Or if you can't get rid of Windows do a duel boot, but their are options to Micrsoft. Lets face it heavy tech and computer users have never been Microsoft's target consummers. Businesses that look for the ability to support the software and help explain to them what the software does has always been Microsofts customers.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:30am

    i don't see why the EU is so anal about Microsoft. people don't have to buy their products. if they don't agree with their business practices or the way their software is packaged simple don't buy their product. all these sanctions and fines to me just seem like whining to me.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Roger, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:37am

    Microsoft and Charlie McCreevy

    If you are tempted to belive that Microsoft is being cruelly victimised by the EU you might like to check out the activities of Charlie McCreevy who is the EU's Internal Market and Services Commisioner. Particularly in the area of software patents.

    Mr McCreevy has often been uncriticized as being overly solicitous of Microsoft's interests in Europe. Indeed, he has been called the EU's Commissioner for Microsoft.

    I do not see Microsoft as a victim.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      TheDock22, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:44am

      Re: Microsoft and Charlie McCreevy

      I don't think Microsoft is being picked on, I just think 3rd party vendors need to quit crying and come out with more innovative products. And I whole heartedly believe that companies who want all this source code so badly will NOT benefit from having it! If they can't even come up with a product to compete with Windows Media Player, how is Microsoft source code going to help them at all?

      Innovative people, it's what keeps technology moving forward.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Pro, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:42am

    EU Nonsense

    People fail to understand that Microsoft will never be able to comply with EU, mostly because they won't let them. The terms of what they ask for are vague enough that they'll always be able to say that MS hasn't complied.

    Doesn't anyone see the pattern repeated through history where gangs demand a cut off of capitalistic business? To quote Goodfellas: "Fuck you. Pay me!"

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    danimal, 1 Mar 2007 @ 10:50am

    Uh, come again...

    This is a money grab, plain and simple.

    You can cloak it in whatever good intentions you want or say the EU is taking the higher ground, but you'd be kidding yourself. Microsoft has lots and lots of money and the EU wants to dip their hand in the cookie jar.

    The reality is, Microsoft is not the only option. What's next? Lets fine car manufacturers because they manufacture and include wheels on the cars they sell - which is an unfair advantage to aftermarket wheel manufacturers. Or how about Google EU companies don't rank high enough in their search results?

    Call it what you want, dress it up however you'd like. It doesn't change the fact that this is a shakedown - pure and simple. Its a textbook case of a rich, foreign company with weak public perception being extorted for some cash. Its not to hard to see that no matter what Microsoft does to comply, the EU will continue to move the bar to either cripple Microsoft products to the point of being an also-ran or to the point where they can continue their cash extraction.

    I realize its en vogue and all to bash Microsoft right now, but come on, this is getting a bit ridiculous. Yes, there products suck, Apple, Linux are so much better, they're an big, bad, evil corporation that throw puppies against walls just for kicks. We get it! So, don't buy their products! Develop competitive products! Go back to pen and paper or Windows 98!

    Yeah, its not easy. So, instead, we can just whine about how mean they are, charge them a $4m per day import tax and complain when the price of their products is higher than in the US.

    80 percent of Europeans believe in evolution, yet, apparently, the concept "survival of the fittest" escapes them.

    Use their products or don't. Its not a necessity of life and its certainly not Microsofts job to make life easier for their competition. They made a mistake when they agreed to their initial demans.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    billy, 1 Mar 2007 @ 11:41am

    Vista and WHY

    Well, here is one hell of a good reason to open it up, for the HARDWARE people.
    Please read:
    http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html
    It makes perfect sense and I do not see how several of those points (about rising cost to make and support hardware) about Vista and what it will do the market can be argued against.
    Being an avid video gamer, and thanks to them the gfx cards will cost more and such
    I will never buy, or even steal Vista, or support it for any of my friends.
    M$ can shove Vista's DRM where the sun don't shine.
    M$ can bend over and ask to be penetrated by Hollywood, but I shall not.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    _Jon, 1 Mar 2007 @ 11:50am

    For crying out loud, if I see one more person spell DUEL BOOT instead of duAl boot I swear I will kill a puppy.

    I don't like any government getting involved in a company.

    But I have seen the type of anti-competitive behavior that microsoft is accused of. I have seen them sign agreements with a company to go in one direction, then develop software counter to that agreement. I've seen the documents.

    I've also seen microsoft add function calls within the OS that are not documented. These calls are used by their applications (Word, Excel, Media Player) to enhance their functionality to provide features for microsoft products that other vendors cannot provide because they are not aware of the internal function.

    A person can read the above two paragraphs and explain it as "competition", but it isn't "fair". One could also read those words and encourage more government involvement, but no company wants an auditor sitting in the next cube. In my opinion, one of the purposes of the government is to prevent unfair competition and monopolies.

    I think that if a company is cheating, it should be punished and prevented from further dishonorable actions.

    In this case, if microsoft wants to offer a closed operating system, and products that run on it, then it must be willing to prove that it is competing fairly. If evidence shows that it is not competing fairly, then it has created the situation where the government is compelled by its citizens to investigate and possibly punish it.

    No government decree "forced" microsoft to make the business decisions it did. Microsoft took risks and implemented strategies that had a chance of resulting in this type of response from governments. They are not the first "big company" in the world. This is not unknown territory or behavior.

    They made their choice, now they deal with the results.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    bigSteve, 1 Mar 2007 @ 11:50am

    re billy

    Billy, did you just link me to an article written by a fourth grader hosted by my grandmother? Seriously, what kind of garbage link is that?

    I'm going to kill another kitten...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    techguy83, 1 Mar 2007 @ 11:51am

    To all those arguing.

    Arguing over the Internet is useless people. You're not going to change anyone's mind unless they have yet to make up their mind and even if you do "win" the argument you still look like an idiot for arguing in the first place.

    that is all.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    bigSteve, 1 Mar 2007 @ 11:54am

    re _Jon

    "this case, if microsoft wants to offer a closed operating system, and products that run on it, then it must be willing to prove that it is competing fairly."

    ennnngh... wrong... try again. If you don't like MS, or their business practices, DON'T BUY THE PRODUCT AND STFU!!

    They don't have to prove crap to you or anyone else, and they are not competing unfairly, the people that comete with them suck, and are claiming it is unfair, there's a difference.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    bigSteve, 1 Mar 2007 @ 11:55am

    re_ techguy83

    thanks mom!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      techguy83, 1 Mar 2007 @ 12:31pm

      Re: re_ techguy83

      You're welcome bigSteve, even if you were sarcastic when you said it, lol.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    _Jon, 1 Mar 2007 @ 12:08pm

    I do like their stuff.

    And I buy it too.

    But I also realize that if other development teams had access to the same API's as the developers at Microsoft, I'd have even better products to run on the Windows.

    But by not documenting API's they've added for their own application's use, they've cheated me out of better products by other software developers.

    I don't mind that they added API's - I don't like that they hid them.

    And you don't need to yell - it makes you look like a moron.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    TheDock22, 1 Mar 2007 @ 12:34pm

    Fair?

    Who cares if it's fair or not? Guess what you sheltered people out there, the world isn't fair. You want an Open Source operating system then go with Linux.

    Being an avid video gamer, and thanks to them the gfx cards will cost more and such

    Your point? Microsoft never marketed towards video gamers, there isn't enough money it it. They make business software, and for businesses Microsoft has really changed the way the world communicates. Mac and Linux could never hold a candle to what Microsoft has accomplished in the business world.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    JJ, 1 Mar 2007 @ 2:18pm

    Please explain

    Please explain how Microsoft Vista has competed unfairly? It is a new OS and not too many people have it. XP is still the number 1 OS.

    This OS was created by MS and MS has every moral right not to disclose any code that they do not wish to disclose.

    Let's pretend this was the console market. Every developer needs to get permission to develop for the consoles. The manufacturer then would release applicable apis to the developers.

    The European governments should stop wasting time bashing MS. They should either fund the creation of their own OS, or use one of the many other Operating Machines out there. The sooner they stop complaining and the sooner that they start doing, the sooner they will fix the problem.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 1 Mar 2007 @ 3:53pm

      Re: Please explain

      The european goverments has not asked anything about windows only about its network protocols. Microsoft is the dominant OS in the Desktop and they showed that MS was changing their desktop OS to talk with their server better than with anyone else server OS. And due that all over the world is ilegal for any monopoly to use it to gain advantages in other markets. they have told MS that they can't have secret client server portocols so it can't kill the server competition as MS did with its secret API to kill competidor in the past.

      And MS is following the tactic of drag its feed in releasing their protocols and cry to the public and the EU has say as we say in my country:

      A mi no me torea ni mi madre esta me la pagas

      An they are making to pay through the nose.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        JJ, 1 Mar 2007 @ 7:10pm

        Re: Re: Please explain

        Re: Please explain by Anonymous Coward on Mar 1st, 2007 @ 3:53pm
        The european goverments has not asked anything about windows only about its network protocols. Microsoft is the dominant OS in the Desktop and they showed that MS was changing their desktop OS to talk with their server better than with anyone else server OS. And due that all over the world is ilegal for any monopoly to use it to gain advantages in other markets. they have told MS that they can't have secret client server portocols so it can't kill the server competition as MS did with its secret API to kill competidor in the past.

        And MS is following the tactic of drag its feed in releasing their protocols and cry to the public and the EU has say as we say in my country:

        A mi no me torea ni mi madre esta me la pagas

        An they are making to pay through the nose.


        Microsoft is not an Operating System, it is a company. Microsoft Vista is an Operating system. It is not a monopoly, either. It is used on a minority of computers. It is Microsoft's product. Microsoft can put whatever code it wants into it's product as long as it does not intentionally sabotage another product in doing so. If people do not like it, they can chose not to buy Microsoft Vista.

        Again I ask, how is Microsoft Vista a monopoly? It is a minority OS. Nobody is forced to use it.

        You don't see the same arguements in the gaming console market. Each console has its own proprietary programming and licenses.

        The only problem that I see, is that people would rather cry instead of fix the problem. To fix the problem, just use a different OS. I personally prefer Microsoft XP over OSX and Vista.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2007 @ 10:01am

          Re: Re: Re: Please explain

          And the EU decission has NOTHING to do with Vista. And nobody is asking any code from MS just the protocols that windows use to talk to the server because they were changing them to sabotage other server OS to talk with the dominant desktop OS windows.

          Even more MS offered the code and the EU told microsoft no thanks.

          So the cuestion is to make sure that you can choose the server OS that you prefer linux, solaris, OSX server, windows 2003, VMS, OS/400 ... although most of the desktops are running some version of windows.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    I said it, someone had to, 1 Mar 2007 @ 4:53pm

    sniveling panty wastes

    What the hell is wrong with people? If the EU doesn't like the product, tough shit.
    If Microsoft was smart, they'd just say, "...piss on the EU, our product is no longer available in your area/market."

    Do you think Bill & the boys would really care if the EU doesn't buy (read 'bootleg') Windows?

    If people in general don't like Microsoft, then don't buy their products, use their products, or whine about their products.

    Nobody owes "you," anything, you goddamn commies!"

    If you don't like the price or the product, exercise your brains, show a little intelligence, - and don't buy the product!

    Microsoft is one of many companies in a global "free" market, where consumers are "free" to make their own decisions and choices.

    "open source" = "cheapskate goddamn commies"

    wah, wah, waaaaah.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Enrico Suarve, 2 Mar 2007 @ 1:58am

    This is not about Vista

    Serious - read the article

    The clue is that Microsoft are not cooperating with a request for disclosure of information they agreed to 4 years ago

    If any of you had even vague plans for Vista 4 years ago I'd love to talk to you, as you are clearly further ahead of the game then the worlds largest OS manufacturer - think of the money we could make

    Simple fact is 4 years ago Microsoft agreed to an antitrust action which was worked out actually quite favourably to them (they even got to pick the guy in charge of it)

    The anti trust action was based on the fact that they were using their near monopoly in the field of PC and end user server OSs, to try to gain unfair advantage in other fields by stopping other forms of server etc talking to MS servers as well (they did this by not telling people HOW their OS's and hardware should talk to windows)

    I used to develop web apps on windows servers - i'd love it if Microsoft could produce a web server that worked anywhere near as well as some of the competition. I would also love it if Microsoft could develop a storage area network solution that worked as well as the competition and that my Wintel guys could compehend

    Fact is they don't - they rely on restricting information to other companies so their technologies won't work as well, to try to gain advantage for their own sub-standard solutions (and even *then* the competition are still better)

    Its this "it's my ball" behaviour that pisses me off - its anti-competitive, anti-innovative and a whole lot more. I LIKE Microsoft OSs for my sins, my users on the whole prefer them, we should not have to adopt sub-standard technologies in other areas just to be allowed to use their OS in the one area it *is* good in

    As for all the "commie", "Microsoft should just pull out of EU" etc posts - grow up! At least the EU has the balls to stand up to Microsoft, unlike the back-hander based bitches bending over in the US congress

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2007 @ 5:52am

      Re: This is not about Vista

      Don't bother trying to explain it to these inbred, retarded americans. They just don't get it and do what they always do. Stick their heads up their arses and believe america is the universe.

      To you muppets who say ms should ditch europe, you do realise there are 490 million people in europe with many large and very successful business based here?

      You lot are truly retarded. Please stay in america and don't ever vist europe,you're not welcome.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    most europeans are stupid, 2 Mar 2007 @ 5:59am

    lol, europeans are dumb see above post

    Almost every innovation and invention that you use today is possible because of the USA.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.