Microsoft, EU square off behind closed doors

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Only bogus arguments...

>>> The only outcome desired by the Microsoft enemies that bring these cases is the "right" to get their hand in your pocket the same as Microsoft's. >>>

How about the right to have a level playing field re equal exposure to the market unethically dominated by a predatory monopolist?

Just allow consumers to have easy access to and try out competitor apps out of the box. After all, MS SHOULDN'T control what is included on OEMs machines as they appear to (aaahh... the overbearing, abusive power of a monopoly!!!). MS has not and will not allow this to happen because it cannot compete on the merit of it's products.

>>> If they can get Microsoft to quit providing a free media player, they can charge $50 for their own. But who wins and loses here? Not me, I know. >>>

To be generous... inaccurate. To be more accurate... a gross deception.

Apple provides a higher functional FREE Quicktime player. Netscape, Mozilla, and others offer FREE browsers, chat apps, mail apps, etc. This "make us pay for what MS gives us free" is baloney in many instances and a convenient red herring to try and justify MS "tying".

It's only "free" from MS to kill competition... offering no real technological advantages and perhaps more disadvantages (witness the holes in Explorer, WMP, etc that have made the Windows OS even more open to attack).

And if you kill competition the MS way, you lose "price wars", innovation and choice... so much for MS concern for the user.

>>> Microsoft is still going to charge their $50 to the OEM for Windows and RealNetworks or someone is going to add to that for their media player. Or for some other functionality. >>>

Well then go after MS for over charging as many have done and some have won (thru recent class action cases). Just as IExplorer is not really "free", WMP must also cost millions to develop... the cost is just buried or transferred to other products.

(When, during the trial, it was suggested MS give up or open up Explorer to competitors, an MS lawyer blurted out how unfair that would be as it cost MS "billions" (maybe a slight exaggeration but certainly tens, if not hundreds, of millions) to develop... or was this just another MS lie ???)

Posted by: MacCanuck   Posted on: 11/12/03 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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