EU Slaps Microsoft with Charges Over Browser Ballot

[chuckydb]

[citation][nom]Vladislaus[/nom]All that is required of Amazon is for them to publish the source code of their modification, which they did.[/citation]
It's still a crap Android product since the base product is still locked, unless rooted.
Noone should support taking an OS and locking it down for yourself, no matter how legal it is.

 

[NightLight]

i live in the eu, nobody consulted me about this, they don't speak for us.

 

[Vladislaus]

[citation][nom]djscribbles[/nom]So do you guys in the EU also get the choice of what tires get put on your cars when you buy a new car?[/citation]
Do you know any car manufacturer in Europe that has a market share of almost 90%? Also the BCS was Microsoft's idea not the EU. The EU wanted IE removed from Windows.
[citation][nom]djscribbles[/nom]If a user is unaware of the major browsers out there, would presenting them with the choice between the browsers even do them any good? do they just choose the one that has the prettiest icon?[/citation]
Perhaps the EU measures did have some effect. After all in Europe both Firefox and Chrome are ahead of IE in terms of market share, while in the US IE leads comfortably with almost twice the market share than it's next competitor, Chrome.
[citation][nom]djscribbles[/nom]In a time with more competition between OS's and browsers than ever, EU is just kicking MS while they are down by pulling anti-trust BS.[/citation]
The Eu isn't doing an Anti-Trust case against Microsoft. It already did several years back. Microsoft presented an alternative solution to the EU by releasing the BCS instead of removing IE from Windows. The EU accepted, but Microsoft failed in it's agreement.
[citation][nom]djscribbles[/nom](though the idea of MS just disabling all windows based EU gov computers is rather entertaining, it would never happen).[/citation]
It would be entertaining of course. Then they would most likely be barred from ever doing business in the EU. And since the EU is responsible for a substantial percentage of Microsoft's profit, it would be a fantastic move by them.

 

[Guest]

I have a Macbook, all mail programs default to the apple product. The browser defaults to safari, music defaults to iTunes and I cannot remove Safari, iTunes etc . . from the system. Maybe its time the EU looks at Apple for fines, fair is fair afterall.

 

[CerianK]

Possibly $7B? If the fine were actually that steep and if 'Remove IE from Windows' were still on the table for the EU, I'd go that route... and then take it a step further by locking out browser installs altogether with a 'Pay to install your browser of choice' screen. This could be justified, because lack of a browser would certainly cut back on malware infestations, which is of high concern to all governments.

While we're on the subject... that pesky 'Calculator' app that comes pre-installed with Windows is causing me similar grief. Not to mention how it hurts physical calculator sales. That should be the new EU focus.

 

[Kami3k]

Whoa, that is far too high. If they want to do that they need to go after Apple for pretty much every illegal thing a company can do.

 

[Guest]

All right, EU, and after I've chosen a browser, can I then uninstall the BCS? Not? So what's next, are you going to bash Microsoft for not allowing me to uninstall the BCS? After all, I wasn't asked first if I even wanted the BCS...

The EU should be disbanded.

 

[back_by_demand]

[citation][nom]romansky[/nom]MS had a long track with these issues, you would think they should know what not to do..[/citation]
Just because the EU made a ruling on it does not mean that it is right, they are technically incompetent at best and criminally greedy at worst. Having IE pre-installed is no different than having Wordpad, Calculator or Paint pre-installed as there are also free alternatives that can be downloaded that are being harmed by Microsoft's supposed monopoly. So what, is IE more important than Paint? Surely if it comes down to ad-revenue and therefore harming another companies indirect revenue stream then the browser itself does not push advertising, that is where the choice of website you use comes in, which is entirely user-orientated. The EU ruling is like 1920's prohibition, wrong, not what the public wants and inevitabley going to be repealed due to being unenforceable as time goes by.

 

[lpedraja2002]

"...it was unfair for Microsoft force all users to use IE without first informing them of their options. "

So... they expect Microsoft to give free promotion to other web browsers? The users who do not download another web browser is either because they simply don't care or they don't know about any other web browsers. They're bothering Microsoft with this when every other OS I have tried also has a pre-installed Web browser, like OSX and Ubuntu. Should the EU go after them too?

This is what I call a WTF! moment.

 

[john_4]

Sue them for trying to monopolizing the gaming market and almost succeeding with their proprietary Direct X too. Thanks to Apple and STEAM Open GL is making a comeback. Ubuntu and Open GL soon to follow on STEAM.

 

[john_4]

MS is back to their old tricks of embedding their browser so it can not be completely removed, aka spyware for the FEDS. OS X and Linux allows complete removal of their browsers so all you MS fanboys defending the convicted monopolist MS can piss off now.

 

[Geef]

Wouldn't it be cool if it were like the movies and Bill Gates goes to the EU court and when they tell him that they want a few billion dollars he just says. "Well if thats the way you feel about it..." he then snaps his fingers and at that point a program is sent out to every windows OS in all of Europe that disables IE completely over there. Most people never used another browser in their life so once IE is disabled they are SOL until someone brings something like a flash disk with a new browser on it. It would be cool to see that side of the planet screwed over for a couple months. Of course you can't do much worse to EU than they've already managed to do to themselves... but it would still be cool.

 

[cookoy]

i didn't like the idea of the EU imposing a BCS on MS in the first place, but the crux of the matter here is MS agreed to honor the requirement. And MS failed to meet its obligation. The potential penalty for this was clearly stated. Is it typical for MS to deliver buggy softwares? Thought they can afford to hire the cream of the crop.

 

[back_by_demand]

[citation][nom]john_4[/nom]MS is back to their old tricks of embedding their browser so it can not be completely removed, aka spyware for the FEDS[/citation]
Tin
Foil
Hat

 

[back_by_demand]

[citation][nom]cookoy[/nom]Is it typical for MS to deliver buggy softwares? Thought they can afford to hire the cream of the crop.[/citation]
Apple is more cash-rich than the US Goverment, surely they can afford to hire the best people to make a Maps App? Obviously doesn't work that way does it.

 

[john_4]

[citation][nom]back_by_demand[/nom]TinFoilHat[/citation]
Must have missed the news release years ago that MS was collaborating and working with the NSA on their OS's. Tin foil hat my arse, more like the FED is evil.

 

[Geef]

The really sad part about this is the fact that:
IF your smart enough to realize you haven't been given a choice of browser then your definatly smart enough to install your own browser choice. You will be forced to use IE for about 2 mins to go online and download the new browser. (just breaks my heart how they force IE on you for that amount of time)
IF NOT, then it hasn't come close to affecting you. Anyway, how many people do you see who are in this category and are installing an OS themselves from the beginning?

 

[geost91gr]

I guess they need money for the EFSF and prosecuting Microsoft seems like an effective way to get some. Thanks Microsoft for funding my country's (Greece) support!

 

[the_brute]

in other news the EU found a untold source of $7,000,000,000. MS dont even attempt to fight this, or pay. the eu cant balance a budget so they are completely taking advantage of you. for the " because Windows is the most common operating system, it was unfair for Microsoft force all users to use IE without first informing them of their options" it isnt even the most used browser in EU. Others force you to use THEIR product, (several growing rapidly) and this would make it a major anti-competitive edge against MS.

and john_4. welcome to the digitial world. government does use MS, Google, Apple, YOUR ISP, your phone provider, even your incar GPS to track you, but my question is what did you do to get their attention?

 

[shqtth]

Title should read "EU need money, slaps Microsoft with charges"

 

[shqtth]

[citation][nom]john_4[/nom]MS is back to their old tricks of embedding their browser so it can not be completely removed, aka spyware for the FEDS. OS X and Linux allows complete removal of their browsers so all you MS fanboys defending the convicted monopolist MS can piss off now.[/citation]

Any dumb idiot will get spyware on their pc, no matter what web browser they run.

This is why I have a pc business, to clean up computers of dumb users. dumb users pay the bills. Thank you spyware. you make me money Thank you dumb users, you give me your money, no security can protect you, even if they cut off your hands you will still get spyware Prais the dumb users, they help us keep our jobs !

Browser ballot is pointless, atleast microsoft can improve their own stuff, but if they have to package a 3rd party web browser they might get blamed for it. Its better if the user learns of a new web browser and installs it, instead of giving a choice early on when they have no clue what to choose. New users need atleast 4+ months before they decide.

 

[alidan]

[citation][nom]davewolfgang[/nom]If I were MS, I'd tell the EU to go take a long walk off a short pier (but I'm use MUCH more colorful terms than I can post here...).And PULL all MS from EU - and watch the people SCREAM!!! Just like any other FREAKIN' product out there, you buy it - you get what you get!! If you don't like what's in it - don't buy it!!!Why the F should a company have to put a COMPETING product PRE-LOADED in it's own product??!??!?!??!??!?!?!??!??!?!?[/citation]

i wouldnt sell my os in eu, but i would let other people sell it, and i would let anyone anywhere buy it, but i would not official support any eu country.

 

[maddy143ded]

[citation][nom]djscribbles[/nom]Metro has nothing to do with IE. IE has a metro app, which is installed by default; but it doesn't prevent anyone from installing a different metro browser instead, the only issue is that nobody else has written a metro browser (probably because using a browser in metro is about as useful as using a browser that is forced to be in fullscreen mode all the time).[/citation]
there is a firefox aurora copy available which replaces the ie10 metro app if its set as default...
i have used it temporarily, but did not like metro. so just went back to my default opera....

 

[Pherule]

This is Microsoft's Operating System, they can do whatever the heck they want with it.

I hope Microsoft gives the EU the finger.

Actually no, I hope they give them the finger with both hands.

 

[CerianK]

[citation][nom]john_4[/nom]MS is back to their old tricks of embedding their browser so it can not be completely removed.[/citation]
Without this embedding, reliable browser automation cannot be accomplished in a standardized way, which is required for many business users. As a programmer, this makes perfect sense to me, but to a non-programmer it won't. Unfortunately, IE is the only game in town for reliable automation, unless you want to write parallel code for other browsers that support a non-standard automation (e.g. Chrome). At the office I use IE for all business tasks that require automation and Firefox for every thing else. I can distribute my automation tasks to my co-workers so they can work more efficiently. In many cases the binding between IE and Windows Explorer is essential for this purpose.