Dante Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 The European Commission has accused Microsoft of harming competition by bundling its Explorer web browser with its Windows operating system. The commission said it had reached the preliminary view that the US software giant had undermined consumer choice and infringed EU rules. Microsoft and the European Union have engaged in legal battles over competition issues for years. Last year, the EU fined Microsoft 899m euros ($1.4bn; £680.9m). Browser battle In its statement on Friday the Commission said: "Microsoft's tying of Internet Explorer to the Windows operating system harms competition between web browsers, undermines product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice." Microsoft that it was studying the commission's preliminary finding, and did not rule out requesting a formal hearing. It has been given eight weeks to reply. The US software firm controls the majority of the web-browsing market through its Explorer browser. Analysts say the company has diversified enormously and is now no longer so reliant on its Windows operating system, with revenue coming from Xbox sales and server software. In February 2008, the EU fined Microsoft 899m euros for defying sanctions imposed on it for anti-competitive behaviour. The penalty - which was then one of the largest imposed by the European Commission - came after Microsoft failed to comply with an earlier 2004 ruling that it had abused its market position. news.bbc.co.uk :laughing:
DomJcg Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 People are too lazy to download alternatives *relaxes on firefox*
Shorty Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 This... seems pretty stupid. They've been fined for not giving other browsers enough chance? "reduces customer choice?" Ok, what if Windows didn't include internet explorer with their OS, how would people get online to get another browser in the first place? Buy it on a disk? Ask someone to send them the setup file via IM? I suppose they could run ftp and download it like that... if they knew the location and the commands :/
Raining_again Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 I still know a lot of people who would give me a look of terror if I suggested that they install anything. o_o Why is the EU being so difficult! Its just provided for the simple fact that people don't have a clue. Surely once you work out what's happening, you can download an alternative to suit your needs. This only provides people like me with a ton of computer illiterate friends. X( @ shorty, actually that's a good point.... :/
MoogleViper Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 This... seems pretty stupid. They've been fined for not giving other browsers enough chance? "reduces customer choice?" Ok, what if Windows didn't include internet explorer with their OS, how would people get online to get another browser in the first place? Buy it on a disk? Ask someone to send them the setup file via IM? They could install more than one browser. Or give people the option of choosing which browser to have when they purchase the os.
Ashley Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 This... seems pretty stupid. They've been fined for not giving other browsers enough chance? "reduces customer choice?" Ok, what if Windows didn't include internet explorer with their OS, how would people get online to get another browser in the first place? Buy it on a disk? Ask someone to send them the setup file via IM? I suppose they could run ftp and download it like that... if they knew the location and the commands :/ I supposed they'd ask Microsoft to bundle Firefox, Opera and other alternatives too....
Nolan Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 Well this is just dumb. IE is just a web browser made my MS. They don't charge, they don't hide malicious software if you try to get rid of it, they just include it. Besides, if they didn't people wouldn't be able to get online at all. The majority of people using IE generally don't care or don't know about the other browsers. Honestly, if the bundled Opera or Firefox or Safari or one of the others, people would still use Internet explorer. Since, if I don't know any more than I want to get online, am I going to open the program called "Internet Explorer" or the program called "Opera"?
Platty Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 This... seems pretty stupid. They've been fined for not giving other browsers enough chance? "reduces customer choice?" Ok, what if Windows didn't include internet explorer with their OS, how would people get online to get another browser in the first place? Buy it on a disk? Ask someone to send them the setup file via IM? I agree, just seems totally illogical. EU are idiots.
Serebii Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 I dont see why it even matters...you dont pay for the damn browsers anyway
Dante Posted January 17, 2009 Author Posted January 17, 2009 EU Person 1: We need money fast! EU Person 1: Who has the most money? EU Person 2: Microsoft? EU Person 1: Good idea. Lets sue them over the most stupid thing that we can think of? EU Person 2: I.E is crap. EU Person 1: Yeah! Let sue them for putting I.E in Microsoft product.
Cube Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 This... seems pretty stupid. They've been fined for not giving other browsers enough chance? "reduces customer choice?" Ok, what if Windows didn't include internet explorer with their OS, how would people get online to get another browser in the first place? Buy it on a disk? Ask someone to send them the setup file via IM? I suppose they could run ftp and download it like that... if they knew the location and the commands :/ Exactly what I was thinking. They would just offer shops and stuff free IE disks, which would be bundled with any computer with Windows. Microsoft also aren't stopping shops and stuff from pre-installing other browsers. Both my computer and my mum's laptop had Firefox on it from the start. Also...don't Macs come with Safari built in?
MoogleViper Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 I dont see why it even matters...you dont pay for the damn browsers anyway Yeah but they have to be making money some how. The government don't want anybody to have a monopoly. That's why there was the whole debate over Lloyds TSB buying out HBOS.
Nolan Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 Also...don't Macs come with Safari built in? Yup, apple makes Safari iirc. So, by the EU logic, Apple should also be in trouble for bundling Safari, and let's not forget that the Wii only supports Opera, and who knows what the PS3 browser is.
nightwolf Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 It makes no logically sense to ask a company to sell somebody elses product. It's like askin McDonalds to sell Burger King. Besides if they started installing 3-4 browsers on a computer, the person using that pc is only going to use what they already know; I.E.
Shino Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 While I don't agree with the EU bashing (you ignorant assholes), I also don't understand the reasoning behind this.
fex Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 They wouldn't be getting sued if they made a good browser, the fact is IE is turd and they are blaming it is holding up development
Shorty Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 Yup, apple makes Safari iirc. So, by the EU logic, Apple should also be in trouble for bundling Safari, and let's not forget that the Wii only supports Opera, and who knows what the PS3 browser is. luls, bundling safari with macs isn't going to be monopolising any markets though, less than 3% of users, pc or mac, are using safari, while over quarter are using IE7 and another 20% or so are probably still on IE6.
MoogleViper Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 Do you lot seriously think that the EU decided to sue Microsoft for no reason other than they needed money? Our own government has been stopping business from gaining to high a market share for years. This isn't anything new this is just on a larger scale.
Nolan Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 luls, bundling safari with macs isn't going to be monopolising any markets though, less than 3% of users, pc or mac, are using safari, while over quarter are using IE7 and another 20% or so are probably still on IE6. But bundling IE isn't monopolizing either. At least not as I see it. If they didn't allow other forms of browsers I'd understand, but IE is optional. Most people just don't seem to know that.
MoogleViper Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 But bundling IE isn't monopolizing either. At least not as I see it. If they didn't allow other forms of browsers I'd understand, but IE is optional. Most people just don't seem to know that. Which is a form of monopolization. They are using people's ignorance to their own advantage.
Shino Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 But bundling IE isn't monopolizing either. At least not as I see it. If they didn't allow other forms of browsers I'd understand, but IE is optional. Most people just don't seem to know that. It gives them an unfair advantage over the others. But on the other hand, it is they're product and the consumers are paying for Windows with IE included. I could understand if they think the monopoly is so great that extra measures are needed, but Europe is one of the places with more Firefox users.
EEVILMURRAY Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 This... seems pretty stupid. They've been fined for not giving other browsers enough chance? "reduces customer choice?" Ok, what if Windows didn't include internet explorer with their OS, how would people get online to get another browser in the first place? Buy it on a disk? Ask someone to send them the setup file via IM? I suppose they could run ftp and download it like that... if they knew the location and the commands :/ Not going to happen. To get the IM you have to go online to download the file, which you can't really do because there isn't any browserings. And you can't use an IM because it isn't bundled with the OS anymore, since that's bad news also. You're going to have to cart yo' ass to PC World for a bargain.
Shorty Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 Vista comes with Windows Live Messenger doesn't it? Or is it just a link to it? Irrelevant anyway, really, and only fuelling my point if it's impossible.
Shino Posted January 17, 2009 Posted January 17, 2009 They could use Windows Update to download those apps.
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