RSSMS Customers to Evaluate EU Settlement
By Ed Oswald | Published February 25, 2005, 2:06 PM
The European Union has given customers of Microsoft's products a period of ten days to decide if the company's latest offer to settle its antitrust case with them and the EU is adequate.
Last year, the EU found Microsoft guilty of antitrust violations and fined the company 497 million euros. With the decision came a ruling that the company must produce a version of its Windows XP operating system without multimedia capabilities built in, which was central to the trial.
Microsoft was accused of stalling and making the product less desirable by naming it "Reduced Media Edition," causing the EU to demand in late January that Microsoft either comply or face a daily fine of nearly $5 million USD. The EU also asked Microsoft to change the name to something more appealing.
"The Commission will decide on whether it considers the proposals from Microsoft are satisfactory or not in light of the reactions in the marketplace," EU spokesman Jonathan Todd said.
While Microsoft had said earlier that the slimmed down Windows XP could be expected within weeks, no further information has been provided as to a solid date. "We are fully committed to comply with the Commission's decision," a Microsoft spokesperson said.
ROCK!
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|SUCK
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|I would tell the EU that they can go find another computer software O/S, because he isn't selling his to european customers any longer.
The Europeans are looking really really bad in this. It's so sad.
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|If apple can have iTunes in its systems, why can't MS have Windows Media Player?
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|This is just going to cost us more money. What is the deal, if you don't want to use their media player, dont.
Arg!
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|wah wah wah
wah wah
wah wah
If they lose the EU, every other little OS company on earth would gain an unreal competitive advantage.
These posts are really very funny, they show that you have no business experience at all. ;-)
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|it wouldnt be an unfair competitive advantage, it would be a fair one :)
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|Ms should be made to make all their apps
Standalone (which would cut down on the bloat of windows) for one thing
like on Windows 95a most apps had to be installed and did not come bundled with Windows)
ie for example
webb browser ie,firefox,mozzilla,opera,net captor etc need to be installed to surf the webb
a Media Player such as WMA,Musicmatch,sonique,etc
each and every user should have a choice of what software they installl and weather it be MS own or 3rd party
Give shareware the coverage it desirves
if you like it u buy it
if you don't u bin it simple as that
Let the Internet decide what is the app to use
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|Ok so everyone who buys a computer should install:
a. a browser (must have a cd, can't download it because you don't have ANY browser)
b. a media player
What about this, if you don't like the stuff that comes with your computer don't use them, nobody is forcing you to use them or stopping you from installing other products.
But I am sure %99 of users like to be able to use their computers the minute they turn it on the first time.
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|Having the option to buy the same computer without components or with custom components would be better.
Equate IE or Firefox to regular or premium wheels, etc.
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|And what OS isn't "bloted" Not Linux that is for sure! I will stick to and OS that is around a gig -vs- 3+ gigs anyday of the week that is why I still use XP.
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|Uhh I have a Version of Linux that runs on 2 floppies complete with GUI and web browser.
Where's yours?
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|the difference, you had a choice of which software you want to install and which you'd rather leave behind.
Even though Mandrake Linux free version is 3 disks, when it gets done with installing disk 1, you can hit cancel at the prompt for disk 2, and the OS will work just fine.
In Linux you usually get 2 or 3 alternatives to programs, not just 1 app to browse web, 1 to image edit, 1 text editor...
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|There should be an option for the browser, and yes, that option should be default to install. If you know what you are doing, you should have an option to not install.
Also, I've uninstalled IE, but guess what, it still exists on my computer - I just open "my computer" and type in the address "www.google.com" and it it works, bringing up the blue "e" at the top left of the window. Why does that happen, even though explorer is "uninstalled"? Why does my adware still open in IE, although FF is my only and default browser?
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