European Union drops antitrust charges against Microsoft
Microsoft's Windows browser ballot proved to be enough for the European Union to drop its antitrust case against the Redmond, Wash., software giant.
European regulators announced Wednesday they had officially dropped their antitrust case against Microsoft, now that the Windows maker will give users a choice of which browser to install on their system. Competing options include Apple's Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. In all, there will be 12 options.
According to The New York Times, a forthcoming update to the Windows operating system will give European users of Internet Explorer, Microsoft's own browser, an option to switch to another. The settlement allows Microsoft to avoid a costly legal battle, and is also more evidence of American technology companies conceding to European sanctions.
That stance has likely been taken due to huge fines paid by Microsoft. In the past decade, the company has paid €1.68 billion, or $2.44 billion, to the European Union.
The browser ballot will go into effect in March 2010, and the "Choice Screen update" will be available for five years. There are more than 100 million users of Windows XP, 7 and Vista in Europe.
The union turned up the heat on Microsoft earlier this year, giving the company notice that it would have to detach Internet Explorer from Windows. The European Commission -- and Microsoft's competitors -- felt that the company's Web browser had an unfair monopoly by coming installed on all copies of Windows.
In response to the antitrust claims, Microsoft this summer revealed plans to ship Windows 7, its latest operating system, without Internet Explorer in Europe. But a proposed browser ballot that listed options in alphabetical order was criticized for favoring Apple's Safari.
Earlier this month, Microsoft altered its settlement with the European Union and modified the ballot to randomly display the top five Web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera and Safari. Users are given the option to select a browser that will then be downloaded from the Internet.
European regulators announced Wednesday they had officially dropped their antitrust case against Microsoft, now that the Windows maker will give users a choice of which browser to install on their system. Competing options include Apple's Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. In all, there will be 12 options.
According to The New York Times, a forthcoming update to the Windows operating system will give European users of Internet Explorer, Microsoft's own browser, an option to switch to another. The settlement allows Microsoft to avoid a costly legal battle, and is also more evidence of American technology companies conceding to European sanctions.
That stance has likely been taken due to huge fines paid by Microsoft. In the past decade, the company has paid €1.68 billion, or $2.44 billion, to the European Union.
The browser ballot will go into effect in March 2010, and the "Choice Screen update" will be available for five years. There are more than 100 million users of Windows XP, 7 and Vista in Europe.
The union turned up the heat on Microsoft earlier this year, giving the company notice that it would have to detach Internet Explorer from Windows. The European Commission -- and Microsoft's competitors -- felt that the company's Web browser had an unfair monopoly by coming installed on all copies of Windows.
In response to the antitrust claims, Microsoft this summer revealed plans to ship Windows 7, its latest operating system, without Internet Explorer in Europe. But a proposed browser ballot that listed options in alphabetical order was criticized for favoring Apple's Safari.
Earlier this month, Microsoft altered its settlement with the European Union and modified the ballot to randomly display the top five Web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera and Safari. Users are given the option to select a browser that will then be downloaded from the Internet.
Comments
err... is OSX going to be next on the list to provide "the ballot"?!
cool!
err... is OSX going to be next on the list to provide "the ballot"?!
No, the situation with Apple is completely different.
err... is OSX going to be next on the list to provide "the ballot"?!
not before OSX reaches defacto monopoly market share in EU
cool!
err... is OSX going to be next on the list to provide "the ballot"?!
errrrrrrrrrrrrr duooooooohhhhhhh We've been able to choose all along.
not before OSX reaches defacto monopoly market share in EU
Which will happen on 15th of never.
cool!
err... is OSX going to be next on the list to provide "the ballot"?!
Nope, the iPhone OS will be next. It has the majority of the web browsing that's done by smartphones, and the Safari browser has a monopoly position on the iPhone OS.
Nope, the iPhone OS will be next. It has the majority of the web browsing that's done by smartphones, and the Safari browser has a monopoly position on the iPhone OS.
Microsoft Bing is in the App Store as of this morning.
Downloaded it and it works great.
http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2009...to-the-iphone/
Microsoft's Windows browser ballot proved to be enough for the European Union to drop its antitrust case against the Redmond, Wash., software giant.
Time to begin the next antitrust case against Micro$haft: for WMP.
MFGEUP: Cash will do nicely!!
Time to begin the next antitrust case against Micro$haft: for WMP.
In reality by this settlement, Microsoft appears to have opened themselves up to just such a follow-on action, or a series of them related to other bundled software. It's difficult to see where it ends.
Time to begin the next antitrust case against Micro$haft: for WMP.
They already sell versions of Windows without Windows Media Player, called "N editions". And you can de-install WMP, Windows Media Center and much more on all editions.
On the other hand they are already shipping Windows 7 without an e-mail client or photo app.
So the EU now has time to watch iTunes and Safari on the iPhone. Good luck!
Time to begin the next antitrust case against Micro$haft: for WMP.
They already went after MS for Media Player. That's why in the EU and S Korea there's the Windows-N version which comes without WMP and that was about 5 years ago. Of course NO ONE buys that version.
In reality by this settlement, Microsoft appears to have opened themselves up to just such a follow-on action, or a series of them related to other bundled software. It's difficult to see where it ends.
Also to prevent even more antitrust cases Windows 7 comes without an email, calendar, photo, or movie editing program. Now since 95%+ of all Windows purchases come from an OEM from say Dell they of course aren't going to sell their PC without those capabilities so it's up to the OEM to include that software which they always do. And so far they've all included Windows Live Essentials from MS.
Now if you buy a retail copy of Windows 7 it won't have an email program but you can download Windows Live Essentials via Windows Update (it's an optional install) or from MS website.
They already sell versions of Windows without Windows Media Player, called "N editions". And you can de-install WMP, Windows Media Center and much more on all editions.
This may not cut it with the EU. Obviously it did not with IE.
Also to prevent even more antitrust cases Windows 7 comes without an email, calendar, photo, or movie editing program. Now since 95%+ of all Windows purchases come from an OEM from say Dell they of course aren't going to sell their PC without those capabilities so it's up to the OEM to include that software which they always do. And so far they've all included Windows Live Essentials from MS.
Now if you buy a retail copy of Windows 7 it won't have an email program but you can download Windows Live Essentials via Windows Update (it's an optional install) or from MS website.
So, what bundled software still ships with Win7?
So, what bundled software still ships with Win7?
Paint and WordPad (pretty usefull in Windows 7), Notepad, Windows Media Center and Player, IE, Windows Easy Transfer, Calculator (Win7 version is very powerfull), Snipping Tool, Audio Recording (it's too simple), Picture Viewer, some off- and online games, PowerShell, Sticky Notes, Windows Journal (notebook for Tablet PCs), XPS-Viewer, Windows Defender (anti-malware app), powerfull Speech Recognition and some smaller tools
The integrated media systems, the Gadget system, Windows Search and ZIP-support can be de-installed and replaced with third party technology.
IE can be "deactivated" so that it's out of a users view. But Windows will still use the Trident html rendering engine for compatibility and the help system.
Paint and WordPad (pretty usefull in Windows 7), Notepad, Windows Media Center and Player, IE, Windows Easy Transfer, Calculator (Win7 version is very powerfull), Snipping Tool, Audio Recording (it's too simple), Picture Viewer, some off- and online games, PowerShell, Sticky Notes, Windows Journal (notebook for Tablet PCs), XPS-Viewer, Windows Defender (anti-malware app), powerfull Speech Recognition and some smaller tools
The integrated media systems, the Gadget system, Windows Search and ZIP-support can be de-installed and replaced with third party technology.
IE can be "deactivated" so that it's out of a users view. But Windows will still use the Trident html rendering engine for compatibility and the help system.
Is this in the European version? If so, it seems that each of these is potentially subject to the same user choice requirement.
I do see this as possibly opening up the software that is at least available on smart phones though.
Is this in the European version? If so, it seems that each of these is potentially subject to the same user choice requirement.
There is no European version, only the N-edition in some markets without Windows Media Player.