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  • #76
    In the normal course of business, it's retarded. But there's an OS monopoly, and the gov't has an obligation to make sure Microsoft doesn't abuse that monopoly if there's no real way to break up the monopoly. This is standard stuff in a market economy.
    I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891

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    • #77
      Here's an article that suggests that Microsoft's offer has been rejected. Not sure that I agree with the precise remedy being demanded by the EU at this point (if the precise remedy can even be divined at this point).

      I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891

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      • #78
        In the normal course of business, it's retarded. But there's an OS monopoly, and the gov't has an obligation to make sure Microsoft doesn't abuse that monopoly


        Why?

        "Abusing" their monopoly in this case has led to me being able to connect to the internet and download Firefox within 1 minute of initial startup of any system with no difficulties.

        Abuse
        12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
        Stadtluft Macht Frei
        Killing it is the new killing it
        Ultima Ratio Regum

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        • #79
          Why, you ask? Quite simply because it's established law in the US and most Western countries. There are ample antecedents to the law.
          I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891

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          • #80
            So we should vigorously enforce the law simply because it is the law? Anti-monopoly law (at least as currently constituted) is retarded. The Euros are busy proving that.
            12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
            Stadtluft Macht Frei
            Killing it is the new killing it
            Ultima Ratio Regum

            Comment


            • #81
              Strict enforcement of the anti-monopoly law might suck, but it is the least worst outcome IMO.

              For a couple of decades, the US government has been willing to accept less competition in trade for more efficiency. I don't agree with this trend.
              I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891

              Comment


              • #82
                Originally posted by Asher View Post
                You guys are showing why Europe is on a steep decline.

                You talk about how it "saves you from deleting the icon on the desktop" but it then requires you to download firefox, copy it to a key on another computer, then install it on your new computer.

                How ****ing slow are you at deleting...
                Obviously, I was only talking in jest. I couldn't give a rats ass about this honestly
                "An archaeologist is the best husband a women can have; the older she gets, the more interested he is in her." - Agatha Christie
                "Non mortem timemus, sed cogitationem mortis." - Seneca

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                • #83

                  After reading the article, I'm left with the impression that the EU sees Microsoft as a source for future fines. Now I realize that Microsoft's rivals might grin at such notions but shouldn't they be concerned that one day the EU might look at other sources of fines? Google is becoming a giant. Should they not be concerned? Of course I'm no financial wiz like some of ya'll here
                  Which side are we on? We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We are evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go. I'm surprised you didn't know that. --Saul Tigh

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                  • #84
                    DanS, this isn't "strict enforcement of the law". This is "we get to make up whatever remedy we want".

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                    • #85
                      It's pretty obvious to me that anti-monopoly law is subject to substantial interpretation...
                      12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
                      Stadtluft Macht Frei
                      Killing it is the new killing it
                      Ultima Ratio Regum

                      Comment


                      • #86
                        Yes. Which means that "strict enforcement of the law" is unattainable.

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                        • #87
                          Originally posted by DanS View Post
                          In the normal course of business, it's retarded. But there's an OS monopoly, and the gov't has an obligation to make sure Microsoft doesn't abuse that monopoly if there's no real way to break up the monopoly. This is standard stuff in a market economy.
                          So you agree, then, that MS should promptly remove from Windows 7 for its release in Europe the following components:

                          - Desktop shell environment (the GUI). This is explorer.exe, is not an integral part of the OS and in fact, there is more of a real business around selling Explorer replacements than selling desktop web browsers.
                          - Windows Defender firewall and antispyware -- this competes with Zone Alarm, Symantec, etc
                          - File browser (Windows Explorer) -- this competes with other products such as Norton Commander, again this market is bigger than the desktop web browser market
                          - Ability to decode MP3s, WMAs, WAVs, etc -- this competes with all other media vendors
                          - Ability to defragment the harddrive
                          - Ability to write text documents (notepad/wordpad)
                          - Ability to draw graphics (MSPaint, competes with other graphics tools)
                          - Text to speech and speech to text engines
                          - etc

                          The list of bundled, standard applications that come with the OS is massive and essential. Consumers expect it, and it only makes sense to bundle it.

                          The fact that the EU and the US legal systems are both incomprehensibly retarded and fixated on internet browsers when there is no market for them in the economic sector, while there's ample and intense competition and changing market demographics for those browsers as well, is not relevant to this discussion.

                          I am more than welcome to discuss the political failings of your country and the EU in another thread, but your opinion on the matter is not relevant here. EU said MS has a browser monopoly. They fined MS for bundling IE. IE is now being removed from Windows in EU distributions. Bottom line? Suck it, Euros.
                          "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
                          Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

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                          • #88
                            Originally posted by Kuciwalker View Post
                            Yes. Which means that "strict enforcement of the law" is unattainable.
                            That's why I used the term "vigourous"
                            12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
                            Stadtluft Macht Frei
                            Killing it is the new killing it
                            Ultima Ratio Regum

                            Comment


                            • #89
                              Dan used "strict", and I was responding to him.

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                              • #90
                                I know. I just wanted to make myself clear.
                                12-17-10 Mohamed Bouazizi NEVER FORGET
                                Stadtluft Macht Frei
                                Killing it is the new killing it
                                Ultima Ratio Regum

                                Comment

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