Mozilla Joins EU Antitrust Case Against Microsoft

[randomizer]

The European Commission has decided to allow Mozilla to partake in an antitrust lawsuit currently underway against Microsoft regarding the inclusion of the firm's web browser, Internet Explorer, with Windows.

Mozilla Joins EU Antitrust Case Against Microsoft : Read more

 

[agamar]

What Crap. What vendor would want to include OTHER browsers in their software. I can see it now: You install a fresh OS only to discover that you have to uninstall a bunch of junky third party browsers that are taking up space. Also, how do you choose who's browsers are included? What happens if a year down the road another browser comes out and says that they must be included since MS is still selling that version of the OS as the current version?

I have used Netscape, Mozilla, Firefox, Opera, and of course IE. I keep a copy of FF around for certain webpages/functions, and use IE most of the time. I can control IE via Group Policies for all the users, and I have had "0" problems with the browser. Does anybody think making MS bundle other software is going to help anything?

 

[agamar]

I wish somebody would realize that forcing a company to include the competition is never going to work. It is like forcing a kid to eat something that he doesn't like. It doesn't help the consumer (you get a half-assed attempt to include other software that most users will not install and just end up taking up space). It will cost MS more (marginally) to include, which would increase the overall price. And how do you decide what browsers to include?

When I first started using Windows, Netscape Navigator was the hottest browser around. I would install a fresh copy of Windows, run IE just long enough to download Netscape, and then use Netscape from then on. This continued until Netscape 4.72 (the last good version that I used). I used it because it was significantly better than IE at the time. I didn't even really use IE until version 5.5 came out, and it was as good or better by then.

 

[Guest]

In general, I'm a very anti-corporation person. I despise how business swells to such significant size that it begins to eat, destroy and absorb everything in sight, at the discretion of a few pigs in suits.

But this is just ridiculous.

Like the others have stated above, how the hell is Microsoft supposed to decide on which browsers to include?

While I like Firefox (I'm using it at the moment), maybe these companies should program their own operating system, sell the software, and bundle their Browser with it, if they feel Microsoft is bullying them out of the game.

 

[Guest]

Next on the hit list is Ms Paint and Calculator.

Who said I wanted Their calculator?





If I were microsoft Id stick it to them and not provide anything. See how they manage to get some browser installed when they got none in a fresh install.

 

[bone squat]

If FF wants their share of the market so bad then they should monopolize like MS. I like IE much better than crappy firefox or others. It's better as far as I can tell. It's the easiest to use and least intrusive plus it's built into Windows which makes it all that much better. I don't mind integration as long as it isnt bloatware. And IE is NOT bloatware. Power to MS for monopolizing Operating systems, DirectX (you have to buy vista to get DX10 +) and browsers. You guys rule.

 

[Guest]

Last reports I heard FF is still eroding IE's dominance, so I vote dismiss this crap.

 

[tenor77]

Yeah this is just dumb. Tell you what, why don't we just make 6 more versions of windows without IE installed automatically and let the end user decide.

Oh and Baker, if you made installing plug-ins a little easier I might use your Browser, but its a pain, so I use IE and GC. Stop your bitchin.

 

[Guest]

To the above, it is pretty easy. Windows starts. Windows says "would you like to install a web browser?" User clicks yes. Windows gets www.microsoft.com/listofcompetingbrowsers/current from the web (you don't need a web browser for this! see ftp for my sake) Windows presents a list with internet explorer at the top explaining why the others are just as bad as a virus.

 

[blackened144]

There is no way in hell MS would include the competitions browser in their OS install. The only logical way for them to comply would be to offer no browser period. If MS didnt include Internet Explorer in the Windows installation, then how would any body ever download Firefox?

 

[Humans think]

The problem with Internet Explorer and for some its stronger point (see group policy preferences) is that it is embedded in the system. FF comes bundled with Ubuntu (and most other Linux distribution) and Safari comes bundled with Mac OS X. No objections till now from me.

To explain my self I use Windows XP, Mac OS X and Ubuntu and my personal preference is Firefox as a multiplatform, customizable solution which also supports nicely high resolutions (1920*1200) with the most intelligent scaling. I have used many browsers (IE, FF, Opera, Safari and Chrome) and FF better meets my needs, so FF is my personal preference, like others prefer using Internet Explorer.

The thing that frustrates me is that i cannot uninstall Internet Explorer even though I want to (I can do this for FF in Linux and with Safari in Mac OS X without any hustles) because it is a required component of Windows, even windows update requires it.

So the real problem for me is not that it comes bundled but that it cannot be uninstalled. In my computer running Win XP Internet Explorer is just an other security hole...

 

[juvealert]

IE sucks !!!

 

[blackened144]

[citation][nom]Curnel_D[/nom]And I seriously think microsoft should just remove all software sales from any region that supports the EU, just to make them shut their mouths. All hell would break loose when the average european consumer realizes that they're stuck with hard to use linux or way way way overpriced mac for their computer use and would force the EU to get out of the way.[/citation]

As extreme a suggestion as it is, I agree with this. I think the EU just wants to get everything out of MS is can get for the EU.

 

[ohim]

It is MS`s own Operating system... i don`t understand why would anyone have the guts to make the owner remove something from their own product??? It`s like telling Ferrari to sell their cars without an engine for the buyer to install a Porsche engine. Imo all these Antitrust guys are a bunch of envyous retards. If FF doesn`t like it go and make their own operating system. Btw i`m not an IE user but if i were MS i wouldn`t allow anyone in the world to tell me what to include in my own OS or now and wouldn`t pay anything to anyone. It`s all about politicians in the end ... bunch of retards.

 

[Niva]

Wow, the longer this goes on the more I want to use IE. The includion of IE into windows is NOT anti competitive, not any more anti competitive than the inclusion of firefox in linux distributions.

I for one want an operating system to come with a browser installed, any browser will do so long as I can download and install other browsers.

 

[tayb]

Someone PLEASE do something about the EU. They are gouging American Companies with frivolous bullshit and doing it often. Intel and Microsoft need to tell the EU to FUCK OFF. They want to keep up these bullshit lawsuits they won't do business on their continent. Sue their own fucking companies.

Someone should sue Ubuntu for including Firefox. Clearly anti-competitive to only have one browser option. While we are it please sue Apple for including iWorks, iPhoto, iTunes, iChat, and Safari.

Un-fucking-believable.

 

[jsloan]

for god sake what now, they can't win on the merits so it's death by a thousand cuts. they are destroying windows, microsoft should be able to do whatever it want's with windows, let them go off the cliff, if people don't like it they will switch. they are killing windows and xbox, ect. being dumb down to avoid lawsuits.

 

[jsloan]

[citation][nom]tayb[/nom]Someone PLEASE do something about the EU. They are gouging American Companies with frivolous bullshit and doing it often. Intel and Microsoft need to tell the EU to FUCK OFF. They want to keep up these bullshit lawsuits they won't do business on their continent. Sue their own fucking companies. Someone should sue Ubuntu for including Firefox. Clearly anti-competitive to only have one browser option. While we are it please sue Apple for including iWorks, iPhoto, iTunes, iChat, and Safari. Un-fucking-believable.[/citation]


well said, it only applies to windows because it's like the only thing the anti-microsoft crown have

microsoft with all its cash could sick their lawyers on all these cry babies and take them all out of business long time ago.

 

[r1Master]

Microsoft shoud buy FF and then sack all the managment and put the worker ants to work on making IE better, then bury the name FF, never to be heard of again. hahahahaha.... but seriously... its like everyone else says, its asking a company to take out a part of what it is , ferrari was a great example... There shouldnt be a group that can tell a company what to put in and what not to, if the people dont like it, they will go else where...

 

[Guest]

Simple minded american, flame all u want but the Comission is right in their call. Imagine this if u will: Between a OS that has everything it needs to run smoothly, small HDD footprind + low system requirements, that u can add YOUR favourite software and one that was every little piece of software that u "might" need, in a single version, from a single vendor, without the option to uninstall it, what would be your choice? The EU doesn't want to include FF, Opera, BSplayer or other type of software to Windows, it never made that claim in the first place, all we want is an operating system that works and gives me choices upon installment. Mr. Tetzchner made that claim but he doesn't reprezent the EU in this matter.