GUNWOUNDS Posted March 24, 2004 Posted March 24, 2004 EU fines Microsoft $612M insanity !http://money.cnn.com/2004/03/24/news/international/microsoft_eu.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes :O :O
shygirl4 Posted March 24, 2004 Posted March 24, 2004 Dont you realise this ruling and fine will benefit America, and you personaly, it will allow other American companies to compete with micro$oft, and it may spawn new ideas and cheaper software, also if micro$oft unbundles media player for instance, the operating system will be cheaper , and allow you to then purchase the media player you want. if you read up on the new ruling it actually benefits everyone, you could still purchase windows xp with or without the media player , but one will be cheaper.shy ::)
GUNWOUNDS Posted March 24, 2004 Author Posted March 24, 2004 Dont you realise this ruling and fine will benefit America, and you personaly, it will allow other American companies to compete with micro$oft, and it may spawn new ideas and cheaper software, also if micro$oft unbundles media player for instance, the operating system will be cheaper , and allow you to then purchase the media player you want. if you read up on the new ruling it actually benefits everyone, you could still purchase windows xp with or without the media player , but one will be cheaper.shy
Kiyouta Posted March 24, 2004 Posted March 24, 2004 It's kinda pointless. Windows Media Player is really good. They should get rid of that other crap, like Movie Maker and MSN Explorer. Windows XP would have been better without all the bundled rubbish.If they remove WMP from the install CD, does that mean they also remove that 'song' by the infamous David Byrne - Like Humans Do. LOL, I bet he gets so much hate mail, he cant get through his door! I mean, talk about illegal music sharing - I bet no-one's told him some idiot included his track on the Windows XP installation. Probably because NO ONE KNOWS HIM ;DBut yer, WMP, y bother removing it...
Inoculator9 Posted March 24, 2004 Posted March 24, 2004 Microsoft is the most sleezy, slimy, piece of crap company on Earth. They release chip shit so that people will have to buy the cheap shit that makes the old shit less shitty. And whats more, to keep the microsoft search engine competing with Google, they invade your computer and set it as your homepage every freaking time you logon, even after you personally change it back.So, as far as I'm concerned, EU don't stop there. Cause 1 billion is marely a kink in the works.
GUNWOUNDS Posted March 24, 2004 Author Posted March 24, 2004 Microsoft is the most sleezy, slimy, piece of crap company on Earth. They release chip shit so that people will have to buy the cheap shit that makes the old shit less shitty. And whats more, to keep the microsoft search engine competing with Google, they invade your computer and set it as your homepage every freaking time you logon, even after you personally change it back.So, as far as I'm concerned, EU don't stop there. Cause 1 billion is marely a kink in the works.try ad-aware or search and destroy.. and if that doesnt work use "hijack-this" a registry tool that gets the lil buggers that hide in the cracks.
shygirl4 Posted March 24, 2004 Posted March 24, 2004 I like windows xp , and I think the majority of people in this world also prefare windows xp , but with this ruling you will have a choice, of whether to buy xp with all the bundled crap, or just xp , and buy the crap from somewhere else, if you want it, but cheaper... :)Shy ::)
Inoculator9 Posted March 24, 2004 Posted March 24, 2004 Tried all the other stuff, but I'll give hijack-this a try :P
Kiyouta Posted March 24, 2004 Posted March 24, 2004 Microsoft is the most sleezy, slimy, piece of crap company on Earth. They release chip shit so that people will have to buy the cheap shit that makes the old shit less shitty. And whats more, to keep the microsoft search engine competing with Google, they invade your computer and set it as your homepage every freaking time you logon, even after you personally change it back.So, as far as I'm concerned, EU don't stop there. Cause 1 billion is marely a kink in the works.Ah yes, but then you wouldn't be able to find the MSN Cooking channel would you? They set it to msn.com for you own good! ;) Imagine the chaos without Microsoft - there'd be like 10 different operating systems in circulation. Or we might be using Apple Macs... oh god....
Inoculator9 Posted March 25, 2004 Posted March 25, 2004 I have no problem with msn.com, but they get it set to some shitty search engine site. msn.com is pretty close to being an alright site in my opinion. I meant that it gets changed from that, to some other piece of shit.
ordos45 Posted March 25, 2004 Posted March 25, 2004 The EU can and did do this. They were a lot more effective than our own anti-trust trials. Btw, the city of Munich runs LINUX. ;)
SurlyPIG Posted March 25, 2004 Posted March 25, 2004 I would have thought all the people who were pushing for European nations to butt out of the coalitions international affairs (see thread "Why does USA have to be Validated by EU?") would have the objective consistency to butt out of the EU's domestic affairs. I hesitate to use the "h" word, so I'm sure the people to whom I am referring would be happy to tell us how these situations are different somehow.
thomas Posted March 25, 2004 Posted March 25, 2004 hmm EU has nothing on mocrosoft and will no way in hell get microsoft to pay them.
SurlyPIG Posted March 25, 2004 Posted March 25, 2004 uhh...yeah, I'd say they probably do have something on Microsoft, given that there were antitrust suits against them in their own country, and that if Microsoft doesn't pay, they can kiss a massive market bye-bye.
Inoculator9 Posted March 25, 2004 Posted March 25, 2004 Yep, that's the situation in a nutshell. Microsoft is not above anyone's law.
GUNWOUNDS Posted March 25, 2004 Author Posted March 25, 2004 uhh...yeah, I'd say they probably do have something on Microsoft, given that there were antitrust suits against them in their own country, and that if Microsoft doesn't pay, they can kiss a massive market bye-bye.are you stating that they dont need microsoft at all?and i wasnt judging them on their decision... i was simply asking a question Ace.. as the title of my thread points out... "Can they do this??"Basically i was wondering if they really have something over them.
Egeides Posted March 25, 2004 Posted March 25, 2004 I dont care about new ideas or cheaper software..... I want complete standardization of
Wolf Posted March 25, 2004 Posted March 25, 2004 For Microsoft, 611.8 million dollars is a slap on the wrist. Furthermore, doing this will only get the EU off Microsoft's backs so they can expand their business interests into Europe. The only issues I might see Microsoft having with this deal is the altering of their software and swallowing their pride. They might, they might not accept this, but if they do, they get the EU off of them. If they do not, they can expect further trouble. However, the US might intervene and find this whole persecution of a US company wrong because of lack of juristiction... who knows.
Dude_Doc Posted March 25, 2004 Posted March 25, 2004 On one side, it's always good to have competition. It opens new doors to the business life. Besides, you can always download WinAmp and XviD (www.winamp.com and www.xvid.com) if you want media stuff.On the other hand, what other companies have the same stuff as MicroSoft does? How long will it take for them to develop an operating system in the likeness of Windows? Then, what if the new company will be accused of stealing MicroSoft's code? It'll be chaos.So, bottom line, it's better to keep the MicroSoft OS, because if we have one OS, it'll be more easier for people to find problems, to learn and fix them.There are, of course, many things that doesn't work in the EU. I think they should reconsider and listen to the people.
alchemi2 Posted March 25, 2004 Posted March 25, 2004 EU does have the right to investigate and impose the fine, microsoft have the right to appeal the fine/decision. They already are in the process of doing this.The US goverment have no input in this decision due to traade agreements etc.
Anathema Posted March 25, 2004 Posted March 25, 2004 Frankly I don't see why some people in this thread like monopolist companies controlling an entire sector, but I sure as hell don't. The EU should have dished out a far higher fine then 600m.
nemafakei Posted March 25, 2004 Posted March 25, 2004 If a company is trading in a country contrary to the laws there, it is subject to fines; I don't care about the pros and cons of MS products (perhaps if it were a small, vital business on the brink of receivership anyway, such considerations might be relevant). Why shouldn't the EU be able to do this?
Dude_Doc Posted March 26, 2004 Posted March 26, 2004 If a company is trading in a country contrary to the laws there, it is subject to fines; I don't care about the pros and cons of MS products (perhaps if it were a small, vital business on the brink of receivership anyway, such considerations might be relevant). Why shouldn't the EU be able to do this?I can see a form of secret power play coming into light here. MicroSoft has been the leader of OS since long, and only now, at a point when the Windows OS's are at their highest, the come up with a sue. Why didn't they do this before? Why didn't they mention this to MicroSoft when the EU was established?Sure, when one person comes to a country, unexperienced of the country's laws and culture, it is the person's responsibility to find out how he/she must or will live in that country. But MicroSoft isn't just one person. It's a multi-million dollar business. They've had their products here for some time now. And it isn't the six persons in the EU council who can decide this. The EU isn't a country divided into states, it is a continent containing countries which makes up a union, just like the United Nations. The right thing to do in this event is to let each country decide for themselves if they think MicroSofts products are un-competable. If the people haven't complained, then what is the problem?
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