[There's a reason that Yoda is the unofficial mascot of SBS. Size indeed matters not.] Dear EU: Do you take paypal? - THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS DIVA
Sun, Jan 18 2009 23:19 bradley

Dear EU: Do you take paypal?

Dear EU commission:

Do you take Paypal?  Seriously.  I see that you are suing Microsoft again.  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/647e7e40-e599-11dd-afe4-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1  Must mean you need more money.  So how about I send you some so that more software building decisions are done because it's solid engineering decisions and not some stupid counter move against an EU lawsuit.  Every time I look at a confusing Microsoft SKU list, the EU versions of the software don't help me understanding what product I need to buy. 

I'm sorry to be in a snarky mood tonight but I'm tired of shortcuts, buttons and toolbars that I kinda like being impacted by your threats.  Remember when one of the hotfixes and later a service pack took off the shortcut in XP to show IE on the desktop?  Yeah, my impression we have you guys to thank for that one.  It was a competition move.  Already I'm annoyed that Windows 7 doesn't natively have IE at the top of the Start menu.  Do we get to thank you for that default?

But seriously do you think that threatening another lawsuit is going to give Opera or Firefox a competing edge?  What happened to the good old fashioned idea that if you build a better mousetrap that people buy your stuff?  Heck, the competing browsers are all for free.  So all you have to do is to download any browser you want.  Do you honestly think that this generation of folks that can facebook/twitter/iphone/ can't figure out how to download a browser?  How about you start a lawsuit against Apple for shoving Safari down when you updated iTunes?  I think that's a more disagreeable vendor practice. 

Or how about suing Microsoft for offering up Silverlight in Vista and Windows 7 updates, huh?  Now there's something I'd support you guys on.  Or how about suing for confusing SKU codes, and licensing? Try explaining SQL licensing sometime and see how that needs to be cleaned up?  But enough is enough with the IE stuff okay?  People LIKE Firefox.  People LIKE Chrome.  That's what competition is all about.  You build something that people like.

And if I want IE on my Mac Mini, you guys planning to sue for that?

But seriously, I'll send you some money via paypal so you can leave ALL of the software vendors to make software design decisions based on solid engineering and not because some Attorney says it would be a wise counter move.

 

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# re: Dear EU: Do you take paypal?

Monday, January 19, 2009 2:11 AM by Jevgenij

Don't You worry...

I have a feeling Microsoft is cutting back on consumers in EU, since products are priced sometimes 30-40% more comparing to US prices. Can't find any other reason for such price difference.

We here in EU like EU commission because of this even more...

# EU is doing their job

Monday, January 19, 2009 7:01 AM by J Phellis

It's EU's job to make sure that markets work. And, in the case of browsers the market doesn't work. The worst browser -- by any measure -- has the most number of users. Better browsers are available but most users (around 80%) don't care or know how to download.

The web is a vital infrastructure and we shouldn't allow Micorosoft to dominate it by way of its Windows monopoly.

The case is just and I hope Microsoft's browser will be chopped off.

# re: Dear EU: Do you take paypal?

Monday, January 19, 2009 7:15 AM by Vlad Mazek

Just out of curiousity, how much does a multi-billion dollar company pay for a blogger defense of SEVERE abuse of the monopoly powers for which they lobbied their way out in USA but not in Europe?

Get over yourself, I'll send you instructions on how to put a shortcut for IE on your desktop.

-Vlad

# re: Dear EU: Do you take paypal?

Monday, January 19, 2009 8:51 AM by bradley

There is no blogger defense fund, Vlad and you know it.

I don't get paid a dime.

# re: Dear EU: Do you take paypal?

Monday, January 19, 2009 11:48 AM by Owen Williams

RE: The worst browser -- by any measure -- has the most number of users.

A market share that has been steadily falling, so it sounds like competition is working fine without the EU's actions.

RE: most users (around 80%) don't care or know how to download.

But the EU nevertheless wants to FORCE that 80% to do just that. Yep, that's definitely giving the customers what they want!

# re: Dear EU: Do you take paypal?

Monday, January 19, 2009 1:48 PM by Amy B

Owen,

If the users don't care then it's the EU job to force them to care and learn how to download and install a browser? If the users don't care then let them use what's in the box.

# re: Dear EU: Do you take paypal?

Monday, January 19, 2009 11:34 PM by Dennis Garman

The average european worker earns 24% more.

Windows Monopoly ... come on. Number one - the definition of monoply in economics is a market in which there are many buyers but only ONE seller; "a monopoly on silver"; "when you have a monopoly you can ask any price. Quit using the word in the wrong context. Open IE6/7 go to google type browser and what do you come up with, any number of browsers that are free or cost. Oh By The Way, did I mention that the browser with which you can find other browsers is provided with the operating system? The fact that many consumers are too lazy or ignorant to search for alternate browsers or whatever is not the question, we don't SUE because someone won't open the yellow pages and look for alternative 'stores'.

By definition of Monopoly, Microsoft ain't got one. You can freely order machine's with either the apple operating system(and pay lots more, oh hey lets sue over that one), or  a linux operating system so get over that one.

# re: Dear EU: Do you take paypal?

Thursday, January 29, 2009 4:11 PM by Michael

Why don't Microsoft create an IEless version of windows and call it Windows EU?  Advertise it as an OS that can't connect to the internet and sell it at the same price (IE, Firefox, Opera are free, so there's no reason to lower the price) as all their other versions of Windows that can connect to the internet.  Put the different versions side by side on the shelf, see what the consumers will buy.

I've heard of claims that a web browser is not a part of an OS.  The majority of people who buy a new computer is to connect to the internet.  If the OS doesn't have that ability, who would buy it?  To an average consumer, a computer includes both the hardware and software that can do the basic tasks.  Who defines what these basic tasks are?  I don't know.  But I do know that being able to browse the internet is by today's standard, a basic task.  Thus, an OS should have a built-in browser.  Microsoft's browser is IE, they own it, they know it.  If it fails, the consumer complain, they fix it.  Why is Microsoft obligated to distribute third party software with their product is beyond my comprehension?  If Firefox or Opera crashes, who's going to take the consumers' blame?  Who's going to force Firefox and Opera to fix their product?