Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[David R.Matusiak <dave AT matusiak.org>]

On Thursday, November 13, 2003, at 12:47  PM, Alan MacHett wrote:

> ...seriously, though, I'm not sure I see the EU's point.  Sure, it 
> comes
> packaged with the OS, but it's not *part* of the OS; no one is 
> required to
> use it -- install your own and set it as the default: problem solved.

The EU may be misdirected, but their monopoly claims are still valid.  
I believe their contention is that once WMP has the market dominance of 
Internet Explorer, they can simply stop making it for other platforms 
and effectively control media distribution software on the Internet.  
This could drive RealNetworks out of business (not many folks will weep 
over that one) and then there would only be WMP and Quicktime.  Its all 
about monopoly.  Its all about control and unfair competition.  It is 
not as simple as "Just don't install it."

> But then again, there's the whole issue (when did this happen before?) 
> of
> having to purchase/receive extra crap when all you really want is the 
> OS.
> And of course the other argument is the hardware company's choice of
> software (how, again, did M$ bully its way into "only us"?).  The 
> masses
> believe that computers come in only one flavor, Windows, while a few 
> more
> believe in two or three flavors, Windows or Mac or Linux, and it 
> trickles
> down to the very few rest of us who are aware of the vast choices and
> nuances in OSs.

If only a few people know about this, then why is it an issue?

> --Alan
>
>
> David R.Matusiak said:
> > Microsoft is fighting a lawsuit in Europe that might cause them to
> > re-write the Windows OS and potentially de-couple Windows Media Player
> > from their OS.
> >
> > http://www.forbes.com/home_europe/newswire/2003/11/13/rtr1146679.html
> >
> > In response, "Microsoft Corp. said it would be forced to offer 
> > European
> > consumers a sub-standard version of Windows if the European Union 
> > makes
> > it re-write its operating system..."
> >
> > This just makes one wonder - "Could it get any more sub-standard?"
> > /drm