The European Union's (EU's) warning about Vista might just be the best news about Vista that Microsoft has gotten in a long time. I mean, think about it: If Vista weren't so impressive and comprehensive, why would the EU care so much about it?
In a recent letter to Microsoft, the EU's top antitrust regulator, Neelie Kroes, warns that the software giant won't be allowed to sell Vista in Europe if the OS bundles certain features. Although the exact feature set the EU is concerned about is currently unknown, an EU spokesperson said that the EU specifically mentioned Internet search features, Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 7, Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies, and Microsoft's new Metro feature, which will compete with Adobe Acrobat PDF.
All these features have one thing in common, the EU says: They're currently available from Microsoft or other companies. The fear is that Microsoft will again bundle technologies in Windows in a bid to harm competition.
"We expect that Microsoft will design Vista in a way which is in line with the European competition laws," Kroes said this week. "It would be rather stupid to design something that is not."
The EU is also worried that Microsoft might bundle various security technologies in Vista. Although it didn't specifically mention Vista's Windows Defender application, the EU is concerned because the bundling of such applications might harm third-party developers such as Symantec and McAfee, who make competing products.
Acknowledging receipt of the letter last week, a Microsoft spokesperson said that the company was aligned with the EU's expectations. "Consumers are demanding a more secure, functional operating system," he said. "And Microsoft has developed Vista to respond to that demand, while respecting its legal responsibilities." The EU is currently determining whether to launch a formal investigation of Vista to halt its sale in early 2007.
In related news, Microsoft is allegedly so nervous about its current EU antitrust woes that it hired several former EU justices to stage a mock trial designed to predict how its actual EU court case might proceed. The mock trial was held in January, but there's no word yet whether Microsoft prevailed. Microsoft faces the real thing Thursday and Friday, when it faces off against EU regulators in a closed-door session in Brussels.
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"I mean, think about it: If Windows Vista wasn't so impressive and comprehensive, then why would the European Union (EU) even care about it?"
It's a sad fact that we must look to monopoly threats from the EU for affirmation of Vista's relevance. :)
Staging a mock trial seems a little odd, but I guess when you've got that much money (and that much at stake), you can afford it.
bonch March 29, 2006 (Article Rating: )
If they take out those thigss, what will be left of Vista?
Mirek2 March 29, 2006 (Article Rating: )
If they take out those thigss, what will be left of Vista?
Mirek2 March 29, 2006 (Article Rating: )
Microsoft should build in security, rather than duplicating efforts of other vendors to patch the holes left in the dam afterwards.
That way, they'd accomplish two things: They'd have a bulletproof operating system they could be proud of, and they'd shut up the nosy Euros once and for all.
Everyone wins.
lotsamystuff March 29, 2006 (Article Rating: )
Come on, they don't seriously expect MS to remove IE7 from Vista? If you look at it, the OS itself is "currently available elsewhere, either from Microsoft or from other companies." Crap!
shark47 March 29, 2006 (Article Rating: )
I guess Windows N is going to get even "better". Seriously, unless Microsoft majorly drops it's price point I don't see anyone wanting a stripped version. Now I loved the ability to hide front ends, but in Windows, front ends are pretty small and I hate the idea of paying $50 for software which is just a front end for all the heaving lifting done by the OS.
It's rediculous, IMO, to think that an OS can be restricted to an arbitrary set of functions. Operating systems have steadily been growing in functionality. Saying no more now is just arbitrary.
orion.adrian@gmail.com March 29, 2006 (Article Rating: )
I think it's ridiculous that MS has to go through courts to ship a browser and a media player with Windows, when OSX and Linux are perfectly ok to bundle apps. I might have missed something somewhere, but that's how it comes across to me.
Benn21uk March 29, 2006 (Article Rating: )
If MS is stupid enough to make non-OS software an unremovable part of their OS, they deserve to go to courts. They have obviously not learned from the past and should be punished as hard as possible for that. If Vista is such a well designed OS, nothing sould be easier than letting the user choose what software will be installed in addition to the base OS. But alas, maybe Vista is probable just the biggest driver update the the mess that is called Windows 95...
MysterMask March 29, 2006 (Article Rating: )
Im honestly tired of the whinners, Microsoft should be allowed to do what they want(within reason) with their products.
How is it unfair for Microsoft to make MSN the default search engine in it's own browser? How is it unfair for them to include their own browser with their own operating system? How is it unfair for them to tie their browser and OS together in such a way that it delivers a very enjoyable user experience?
Browsing the web and reading email are common tasks that everyone does these days, an OS without a browser or even an email client is actually lacking an essencial feature. Bluring the line between the desktop and the web is the next step in the OS evolution and thats where Microsoft is heading with Vista. What the EU want is to send the OS back to the pre-internet era.
In any case, forcing Microsoft to strip down it's products just so that others can use that to their adventage is an unfair tactic against Microsoft.
If others want to compete with Microsoft, they should try and play fair and offer a better alternative. Complaining and filling lawsuits against Microsoft because you are unable to is a low and dirty tactic.
The ramifications of what the EU is doing to Microsoft are disastrous. I mean, will Dell be sued because they only offering a certain type of graphic card? Will HP be sued for bundling some of their apps with the computers they sale? This sort of things destroy the very fabric of the computer industry and in the end it is only bad for the users.
salival March 29, 2006 (Article Rating: )
If they want to remove items from Microsoft OS then they should do so for all other OS. The playing field should be level. Perhaps they would prefer to have Microsoft delivering DOS only. :-) There again someone would complain about the add-ins there!! I have to support a large number of PCs and it is bad enough as it is having to addin various other viewers - Quicktime Real etc. having to then addin all the MS ones as well would be an absolute ....
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It's a sad fact that we must look to monopoly threats from the EU for affirmation of Vista's relevance. :)
Staging a mock trial seems a little odd, but I guess when you've got that much money (and that much at stake), you can afford it.
bonch March 29, 2006 (Article Rating: