Microsoft feels "sorry"

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Here is a good read from The Inquirer:

MICROSOFT apologised for its past anti-competitive practices, but denied it never overcharged anyone.

Get the full story here:

Microsoft "sorry" for being anti-competitive (http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=14781)

Richard

[Mac the Knife]

And if you want to read about all the other unpleasant behavour that has the good citizens of Minnesota (and a lot of other people) ticked off you can read their antitrust complaint here http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20040322034339981

For a legal document it is surprisingly clear and readable - guess the plain folk in Minnesota like to tell it as it is. It's a sorry tale of nearly two decades of greed, drive, overcharging and nastiness with sabotage of competitors at every turn of the way.

No one with any sense minds someone building a better mousetrap but to steal, bully, threaten and coerce so consistently hasn't in the end given us a better mousetrap, just a prettier one. Now at least more and more mice are seeing it for what it is and, what's more, growing teeth.

Depressingly, if M$ lose, all they will face are fines estimated around $100M which they can well afford to pay (from a war chest of several $Bn) and carry on regardless.

Mac (happily running SuSE 9.0)
Linux user #302442

[goates]

Looks like the EU is actually trying to punish them now.

Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=reutersEdge&storyID=4625610)

goates

[seacue]

Yes, the propsed EU fine will surely strike fear in Microsoft.

It may be as large as 1% of their cash reserves.

How can they survive such a severe penalty?

[PretoriaSillyperson]

Yes - but they may well also have to reveal the source code of Windows. That WILL hurt them - 'cos it's in Pascal.

PSP:)

[Evo]

Yes - but they may well also have to reveal the source code of Windows. That WILL hurt them - 'cos it's in Pascal.


... or it says

char copyright[] = "@(#) Copyright (c) 1983 Regents of the University of California.\n All rights reserved.\n";

:)

[seacue]

Appeals will drag on and on and give Microsoft time to define fairly clean interfaces that DO NOT reveal any of the important source code.

In the past they have managed to get monetary fines converted into giving software to schools, etc. This has two benefits to them:
1) Software licenses have a market value but cost them next to nothing, and
2) It further increases the market share of their products.

If you were teaching not-so-bright students something they could use in a job, free MS software would probably look more attractive than free Linux. And the threat of SCO suits against Linux users doesn't help at the moment.

Neat?

[amanoffewwords]

Ironically enough the BBC reports that:

a portion {of the fine} will be spent on computers and software... Microsoft software.

"Of course we use Windows and XP," says an EU spokeswoman. "Just like everybody."



Link (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3564731.stm)

Just like everybody? :confused: :rolleyes:

[goates]

I wonder if this will have any effect on the EU proceedings?

http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/040402/tech_sun_factbox_1.html

goates

[the wizard of auz]

Found this on another site.


Microsoft Windows: A thirty-two bit extension and graphical shell to a sixteen bit patch to an eight bit operating system originally coded for a four bit microprocessor, written by a two-bit company that can't stand one bit of competition.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Failure is not an option, it comes bundled right-in with the software.


sounds about right to me!. :}

[rustle]

...written by a two-bit company...

:rolleyes: Interesting comment.

This two-bit company, were it a country, would have a GDP how many times larger than Australia's? :D

[the wizard of auz]

Had to be one in the bunch didn't there?.
OK, seeing as you didn't see the lighter, "tongue in cheek" side of the post, I'll point out the obvious for you.
I think you will find that when the company was refered to as a "two bit" company, it was refering to the companies morals and ethics....or rather, lack of them.... Strewth. :rolleyes:

[Bre901]

look here (http://news.com.com/2100-1014_3-5184773.html?tag=nefd.pop)

Will Micro$oft start selling Windoze in flatpacks ?