What's next? Domino's and Pizza Hut's secret recipes??? I guess we should just hand them the keys Area 51 while we're at it.
I can you image buying a car with no radio and cd player? Even if what comes standard with the car is great or it sucks. It should be up to you if you want to install another one.
Hey Bill, they need windows more than you need money. Call there bluff and pull windows. Let them make there own damn OS.

eu sux

Oj did it and got away so did R. Blake.
B. Galtes has mula and will bend and twist the laws, dont rule him out.....

its a shame how long this has been alowed to continued, but leave it to bill, & he;ll fix it..

If MS was really interested in winning by shear monetary power, they would just pay the fine.

When I read that headline only two things came to mind, dog training and the EU as Eric Cartman:

"You will respect my authoritie!"

Having driven ourselves to near ruin, we demand that competitive companies worldwide hobble themselves. And/or give our companies the fruits of your work.

We'll huff and puff as if we were still relevant in the 21st century.

We shall take several more meetings, have several discussions, then we are prepared to switch to PC-DOS and DESQview. We do not fear inefficiency, we embrace it!

You have been warned, bow down to the Royal... er, hmmm, to the demands of the proletariat.

US antitrust authorities did to Microsoft exactly the same things. They convicted Microsoft of abusing monopolistic position, they imposed fines, and they forced Microsoft to disclose Windows programming documentation to competitors.

In fact, there is absolutely no disagreement about Microsoft between US and EU antitrust authorities. Pretending it is somehow America vs. Europe issue is childish and simply wrong.

PC-DOS has Microsoft copyrighted stuff in it, being as they originally wrote it and all. Better switch to DR-DOS just to be safe.

FreeDOS r00lZ j00!!!11oneoneone

Microsoft wrote dos? I thought some guy did and Bill stole it for like $50,000 or something. Of course MS made billions.

So I guess you are stealing your boss's money, since you only work for him.

There was a movie called "Pirates of Silicon Valley" which was more or less about how Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple. It was also about how Bill Gates tried to find an OS for his software. He did pay someone $50,000. I believe they show it every now and then on FX. They kind of show Bill to be a bad guy (perish the thought). I think the part of Bill Gates was played by Anthony Michael Hall (he of "Sixteen Candles" fame). :P

AT&T is buying all of the pieces back.

So it's going to become one again!

The sad thing is, the money mentioned in the story won't phase microsoft in the least bit. When the company makes billions of dollars in profit per quater, what is that "fine" going to do. Not a damn thing. The only way in reality to make microsoft no longer microsoft is to break them up into competing companies, like AT&T was. Only then will we really see true competition, new inovative features and watch the I.T. industry really explode especially in the home desktop market.

In regards to the article, they can do whatever they want, that includes jerking around a court of law, in any country that wishes to challenge or punish them. What happends if they don't pay? Well who knows, whoever is in charge of Microsoft in the EU could be punished legally maybe? The company could be shut down in that country? I doubt it, so what does that leave? More fines, that Microsoft can refuse to pay.

> What happends if they don't pay?

The same thing that happens every time in such cases. Property will be arrested, and Microsoft has a lot of property in EU including bank accounts, etc. That's why they paid the first fine in time and that's why they will pay any other EU fine, if imposed.

But you are right, Microsoft can sustain paying a fine of 200M Euro every quarter without much trouble. Such are the profits brought by abuse of monopoly.

Give me a break.

Done.

Make your bets, people: who will blink first?

They'll both blink. The EU will at some point realize they're killing a major source of tax revenue, and Microsoft will realize they need every possible customer they can get.

I think the EU should put a warning shot through M$'s bridge to get their attention.

And if M$ wants to take their ball and go home, they'll be taking their spambots with them.

Microsoft must believe this battle is back in the USA. They have played games and pulled fast ones all along the way. I hope they lose and hopfully learn a lession. After all a few more losses like this could do great harm.

Up until now, I considered the notion of Microsoft pulling out of Europe to be ridiculously radical, but it has become clear that the EU is not merely incompetent, not merely fascist, but flat-out deranged. It's not like Europe has any oil. Screw the whole continent.

Thank you

Agreed

What are you guys talking about? US antitrust authorities did to Microsoft exactly the same things. They convicted Microsoft of abusing monopolistic position, they imposed fines, and they forced Microsoft to disclose Windows programming documentation to competitors.

In fact, there is absolutely no disagreement about Microsoft between US and EU antitrust authorities. Pretending it is somehow America vs. Europe issue is childish and simply wrong.

And once again Give me a break.
Let's be honest here the EU SUCKS period!

Purely a matter of opinion.

Any counter-arguments besides using the word period?

I don't know about you, but it shuts most guys up pretty quick when a woman mentions it. :)

You are talking about the original rulings. The rest of us are talking about Microsoft's current COMPLIANCE with the rulings. In the US, Microsoft has complied with its settlement agreement to the satisfaction of the court and the DOJ.

Whether the original EU ruling should stand is an entirely separate issue from the matter at hand, which is whether Microsoft is complying with the ruling for now. Thus far, all evidence publicly available seems to indicate that Microsoft is complying and that the EU is screwing around.

> The rest of us are talking about Microsoft's current COMPLIANCE with the rulings.

So, the "rest of you" have nothing against EU antitrust authorities doing exactly what US antitrust authorities did, like convicting Microsoft of monopoly abuse, imposing fines and forcing it to share development documentation? "The rest of you" just have a problem with EU not agreeing that Microsoft already complied with EU ruling? "The rest of you" actually went through all the case material and are sure Microsoft already complied?

Pretty much.

I've not gone through the documents b/c I'm sure the pages number in the 1000's, but in all seriousness when had MS not complied with a court? From the comments I'm seeing I believe most of the people on this puppy think the EU are just being power hungry pr*cks and crying because everything can't go their own way.

Yes the US found them guilty of a monopoly, but as said before they complied with all the rulings by the US government and they're happy as clams. If they can do that for the US, then I'm sure they tried equally as hard in the EU. The only difference in this case, probably, is the EU is not being specific enough in their directions/wants or needs and MS has no freaking CLUE what the hell they're talking about.

I mean REALLY, who can understand half 'em anyways? (KIDDING, KIDDING I'M ONLY KIDDING).

No but seriously, if they can completely comply in the US, then the EU is doing something wrong or not making themselves crystal clear.

P.S.- I hope to god this has something to do with MS releasing their source code b/c if *I* had coded something that was used as much as Windows and the head of a government(s) said, "Show me how you made this so others can get their hands on it and make copies/hack it" I'd tell them to shove their heads up their a**es and to go f**k themselves. Obviously you don't feel the same, though?

> ...but in all seriousness when had MS not complied with a court?

So, you are sure they have complied because "when have they not complied"? Great example of circular reasoning.

> I hope to god this has something to do with MS releasing their source code...

EU never asked Microsoft to release any source code. It is a myth born in forums like this one. And it shows how well informed are the people making claims that Microsoft "already fully complied".

" they're happy as clams"

Which is why the DOJ is investigating them again, huh?

This EU commision is full of a bunch of absolute idiots. I agree, Microsoft should pull all thier software from the EU and then let the EU commision idiots see the negative affects.

I still cant believe the EU commision is whining still.

sure, pull out of the EU.. you think windows is expensive now? and office? and other ms apps? the price would double or tripple, and then piracy would gain a stonger foothold :) got to maintain that profit margin some how :)

I wonder if the EU will shut them down if they don't comply.

Er...shut down a US company?

Yep, they blocked a merger of two US entities not too long ago didn't they?

I'm pretty sure they can do it, their EU operations at the very least.

EU is run by elite socialist bureaucrats who never worked a day in their lives. They want the rich American entrepreneur Bill Gates to give them a Freebie.

EU is poor, they want some MS dollars. :)

You mean Microsoft Money?

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

No, of course not, he means Intuit Quicken :P

I would just like to tell you that I about slammed my head into the wall after reading that comment.

Thanks. Thanks a lot.

(BTW: I'm still chuckling to myself)

The EU is just money-hungry to get more funding for more projects, to validate its work.

Partly MS and Partly the dead brainers in the EU.

Again, MS just needs to tell the EU to get some other software then and not allow them to use any version of Windows at all.

That'll make 'em happy :D

EU = total donky butts

"That'll make 'em happy"

Yes, it would!

It would definately be fun to watch, but it will never happen.

Too bad, too. The entertainment factor alone would be well worth the price of admission.

i dont know why ms puts up with this, they should just tell the other compnies if they want easy integration then they need to make their own os. its not microsofts problem that their programs wont work with windows. its microsofts right to even make it not work on purpose, after all they wrote their os, whatever else happens with their os is their jursidiction.

you know I think I'd consider paying 400 bucks for windows home (lol) to see this go down too. it would truly be a case study into how deep MS's foundations are in the developed world.

Get a life EU

"EU Again Warns Microsoft to Obey..."

God, is that you?

lol.

Somebody's gonna get ripped by the media. Will it be Microsoft, or the EU? Could it be BOTH?!!?

Too many lies on either side (perhaps both sides), and as master Yoda put it, "impossible to see the future is."

The media will never bash the EU they are too liberal for that

The media will never bash the EU, they are too conservative for that!

The hell are you talking about?

If EU are not happy with Microsoft they can go to hell and use linux ! US Army should support Microsoft and go kick EU's arse. When you create a product it is your right to protect its architecture and schematics and sources. They want to create an internet browser ? Ok fine, but why do they need Windows source code for that?? People are stupid ! Just because Microsoft do lot of money they believe Microsoft is the enemy! US citizens should be proud of Microsoft. They give lot of very needed jobs. Their products do the job. And they even give back large amount of money to charity. For reduction of income tax some will say but they still do it. Look at Bill Gates, hes not a business man always on Fiji Islands that only take the cash and don't care. After all these years he's still there every day and he dream of bringing the future now. People that complains are looser with no job, no girlfriend and no goat. Now let the flaming begin!

> They want to create an internet browser ?
> Ok fine, but why do they need Windows source code for that??
> People are stupid !

You did notice? How about people who make up and repeat stories about EU asking for Microsoft's source code? Do those people qualify?

EU never asked Microsoft to make public any source code. That "requirement" was made up in forums like this by people "with no job, no girlfriend and no goat".

While I *really* don't have that much time on my hands (shut the heck up I know I posted this at 5am) to look it up, I'm nearly positive I saw on here something about source code release. While not MADE PUBLIC, I'm nearly positive they wanted the source code in some way-shape-or-form.

I saw it here too. In hysterical postings which also wanted US army to attack Europe in response to EU antitrust authorities doing to Microsoft exactly what US antitrust authorities did to it.