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  • Apple faces 500M euro fine following EU music probe

    XedXed
    spheric said:
    Xed said:
    nubus said:
    dewme said:
    Are EU consumers taking advantage of the bludgeoning of the "evil gatekeepers" and suddenly basking in the glory of being able to purchase EU made products and services at more affordable prices? That is the goal, improving choice and driving lower prices, isn't it? 
    Mac-users as a group have gained most from regulation (though from US). At one point 95% of all users were on the Microsoft IE browser with sites demanding ActiveX that only worked on Windows. It forced consumers to Windows as Mac browsers including IE for Mac didn't work with their banks or other basic systems. I had to switch bank to stay on Mac, but most didn't. 

    US regulation forced the unbundling of IE from Windows and it opened the web + made Mac a platform that could be used on the level as Windows for most people. And the fear of regulation forced Microsoft to make a deal with Apple to producing MS Office for "at least 5 years" + made a huge investment (+3% of Apple). At that time Apple was 90 days from going bankrupt. Microsoft needed Apple to stay alive to keep US authorities at bay. Thanks to US regulation we still have Apple and competition.
    This is the first I've heard that most Mac users were forced to switch to WinPCs to use financial websites. I certainly never had this problem. Would you please post some links showing how widespread this was as I am unable to find any sources myself?
    Oh, it happened quite a bit back in the day (twenty years ago). 

    And of course, there was this: 

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/due-to-security-law-south-korea-is-stuck-with-internet-explorer-for-online-shopping/2013/11/03/ffd2528a-3eff-11e3-b028-de922d7a3f47_story.html
    That link is about purchases, not banking, and it refers to South Korea, not the US. 

    I'm not saying this didn't happen to you, but I do doubt that your anecdotal experience translated to a mass exodus of Mac users to switch to WinPCs. If something this widespread had occurred I'm surprised that I wasn't aware of it and that there aren't countless articles easily had. Your comment also indicates that you were able to move to a bank whose online system didn't require ActiveX which means that it was possible to use a bank that supported more open web standards.
    Soliwatto_cobrawilliamlondon

  • Apple faces 500M euro fine following EU music probe

    XedXed
    spheric said:
    Xed said:
    spheric said:
    The EU is desperate to collect a penalty fee. In the U.S. legal system, Spotify wouldn't have had the standing to complain since they had already moved 99% of their iOS subscribers to web payments WITHOUT needing any kind of in-app communication. Nothing about their financial reality supported the complaint. Not the revenue part of it or the communication part of it. 
    Yes, with a nominal GDP of almost US$20 trillion projected for 2024, I'm sure they're desperate to collect 500 million Euro from a company violating existing antitrust laws. 
    GDP isn't the same profit, so 500,000,000 € with very little comparative legal and administrative overhead does sound like a huge boon to me.
    What does that even mean? 

    Since when are governments for-profit organisations?
    Replace profit with revenue if you find the statement confusing. Either way, more money is beneficial to a governing body. So my question to you is why would you assume that the EU has little interest in 500,000,000 € simply because their GDP is significantly larger, which is something that was never in question?
    Soliwilliamlondonwatto_cobrajbdragon

  • Apple faces 500M euro fine following EU music probe

    XedXed
    spheric said:

    foregoneconclusion said:
    The EU is desperate to collect a penalty fee. In the U.S. legal system, Spotify wouldn't have had the standing to complain since they had already moved 99% of their iOS subscribers to web payments WITHOUT needing any kind of in-app communication. Nothing about their financial reality supported the complaint. Not the revenue part of it or the communication part of it. 
    Yes, with a nominal GDP of almost US$20 trillion projected for 2024, I'm sure they're desperate to collect 500 million Euro from a company violating existing antitrust laws. 
    GDP isn't the same profit, so 500,000,000 € with very little comparative legal and administrative overhead does sound like a huge boon to me.
    Soliwatto_cobrajbdragon

  • Apple faces 500M euro fine following EU music probe

    XedXed
    nubus said:
    danox said:
    Regional Apple devices are coming......
    They already exist. iPhone with 5G mmWave isn't sold outside North America. Wifi and 5G bands differ a lot between countries and regions. eSim-only is limited to North America. Facetime isn't available on devices sold in some countries (UAE) and those living in UK get 5-6 years warranty with their iPhone (https://www.apple.com/uk/legal/statutory-warranty/uk/).  You're just lucky that all iPhone 15 variants got USB C connectors.
    Dual physical SIMs in China, IIRC.
    Soliwatto_cobranubus

  • Apple faces 500M euro fine following EU music probe

    XedXed
    nubus said:
    dewme said:
    Are EU consumers taking advantage of the bludgeoning of the "evil gatekeepers" and suddenly basking in the glory of being able to purchase EU made products and services at more affordable prices? That is the goal, improving choice and driving lower prices, isn't it? 
    Mac-users as a group have gained most from regulation (though from US). At one point 95% of all users were on the Microsoft IE browser with sites demanding ActiveX that only worked on Windows. It forced consumers to Windows as Mac browsers including IE for Mac didn't work with their banks or other basic systems. I had to switch bank to stay on Mac, but most didn't. 

    US regulation forced the unbundling of IE from Windows and it opened the web + made Mac a platform that could be used on the level as Windows for most people. And the fear of regulation forced Microsoft to make a deal with Apple to producing MS Office for "at least 5 years" + made a huge investment (+3% of Apple). At that time Apple was 90 days from going bankrupt. Microsoft needed Apple to stay alive to keep US authorities at bay. Thanks to US regulation we still have Apple and competition.
    This is the first I've heard that most Mac users were forced to switch to WinPCs to use financial websites. I certainly never had this problem. Would you please post some links showing how widespread this was as I am unable to find any sources myself?
    williamlondonSolibaconstangwatto_cobradanoxjbdragon