EU fines Microsoft $731 million for broken promise, warns others
78 replies, posted
[url]http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/06/us-eu-microsoft-idUSBRE92500520130306[/url]
[img]http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20130306&t=2&i=710220795&w=&fh=&fw=&ll=700&pl=300&r=CBRE92513BN00[/img]
[quote](Reuters) - The European Union fined Microsoft Corp 561 million euros ($731 million) on Wednesday for failing to offer users a choice of web browser, an unprecedented sanction that will act as a warning to other firms involved in EU antitrust disputes.[/quote]
And to put this in perspective how small of an amount this is:
[quote]The board cut chief executive Steve Ballmer's bonus last year partly as a result[/quote]
i am fine with this
because they have broken promise with fucking continent
This is really dumb. Every single other OS ever has their services built in and its better that way. Before they had IE integrated, you had to buy and install a browser from a disk which was crazy. This thing is just intrusive. I had it pop up in my face a little while after installing Windows 8 (and my browser) and all the captions for the browsers are just ads. About 5 of them said "the fastest browser in the world".
Anyone who gives a shit about their browser is probably going to install a new one anyway. For everyone else, the browser choice screen is just going to be an annoyance that they ignore since it makes next to no difference to them.
[QUOTE=CrumbleShake;39822081]This is really dumb. Every single other OS ever has their services built in and its better that way. Before they had IE integrated, you had to buy and install a browser from a disk which was crazy. This thing is just intrusive. I had it pop up in my face a little while after installing Windows 8 (and my browser) and all the captions for the browsers are just ads. About 5 of them said "the fastest browser in the world".
Anyone who gives a shit about their browser is probably going to install a new one anyway. For everyone else, the browser choice screen is just going to be an annoyance that they ignore since it makes next to no difference to them.[/QUOTE]
I guess you weren't here for the past decade.
[QUOTE=CrumbleShake;39822081]This is really dumb. Every single other OS ever has their services built in and its better that way. Before they had IE integrated, you had to buy and install a browser from a disk which was crazy. This thing is just intrusive. I had it pop up in my face a little while after installing Windows 8 (and my browser) and all the captions for the browsers are just ads. About 5 of them said "the fastest browser in the world".
Anyone who gives a shit about their browser is probably going to install a new one anyway. For everyone else, the browser choice screen is just going to be an annoyance that they ignore since it makes next to no difference to them.[/QUOTE]
You installed Windaws 8,that is your first mistake
I don't see them fining apple for safari.
[editline]6th March 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=The golden;39822146]Before people start to spout nonsense about this - [URL="http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1251921&p=39819420&viewfull=1#post39819420"]please read this post by Van-man[/URL][/QUOTE]
Still dumb. What the fuck do they want? Do they want MS to ship windows without a web browser?
[QUOTE=aydin690;39822150]I don't see them fining apple for safari.[/QUOTE]
1) Apple has never had a 90% market share of desktops and used it to gain a share in another area.
2) Apple never agreed with the EU to show a browser ballot screen and then fail to show it.
I'm confused; antitrust disputes are about monopolizing a market. Does that mean that people who [i]sell[/i] browsers are mad at microsoft for including Internet Explorer for free? If you buy a browser, you're absolutely retarded
Crossposting, because fuck writing the same shit twice:
[QUOTE=Van-man;39821259][QUOTE=spinpoint F3;39821152]What about IOS?
You can't change the default browser, it's safari.[/QUOTE]
Well how big of a market share has IOS?
Their share is also most likely consisting of die-hard fans who worships Apple's every move.
After all, it's damn easy to buy a smartphone ready-to-rock with either Android, or Windows Phone 8.
Meanwhile it's not easy to buy a ready-to-roll pre-built without Windows in some form.
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[QUOTE=Ardosos;39821017]Every time I hear about the EU in the news, it's backwards crap like this. Surely they must do some good, too?[/QUOTE]
read this:
[QUOTE=Van-man;39819420]The reason for this is because Microsoft practically dominates the OS market, since it's pre-installed on pretty much 90% of computers sold worldwide.
It's practically the de-facto Operating System.
Same reason why Google has been sued for displaying their products over their competitors, simply because Google is the web search engine with the most control & also a massive market share, AND Google also have many other services & products.
This all boils down to keeping a competitive market where the end-consumer KNOWS they have a choice, instead of them thinking "oh this is the only thing of it's kind, better stick to it"
inb4 "HURR U USE LUNIX!!" well this is my laptop, got Windows 7 on the desktop, because that has more grunt.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]
EDIT: fuck, ninja'd by The_Golden linking to my own posts :v:
[QUOTE=The golden;39822146]Before people start to spout nonsense about this - [URL="http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1251921&p=39819420&viewfull=1#post39819420"]please read this post by Van-man[/URL][/QUOTE]
His post is correct however today more people use other browsers than IE so this whole please choose a browser seems a bit late and just an annoyance today. If we were back in the 90's it'd make more sense.
I wish people would look at things from the perspective of the average consumer before rattling off stupid bullshit
I don't get it, it's not like people pay for browsers. And you can freely install another browser if you want
[QUOTE=Ericson666;39822206]I don't get it, it's not like people pay for browsers. And you can freely install another browser if you want[/QUOTE]
If you know that other browsers exist.
[QUOTE=Van-man;39822185]Crossposting, because fuck writing the same shit twice:[/QUOTE]
Doesn't matter. Nobody is selling browsers anymore. Also, IE is no longer the most used browser.
Jan 2013
Internet Explorer > 14.3 %
Firefox > 30.2 %
Chrome > 48.4 %
Safari > 4.2 %
Opera > 1.9 %
[QUOTE=aydin690;39822212]Doesn't matter. Nobody is selling browsers anymore. Also, IE is no longer the most used browser.[/QUOTE]
This has nothing to do with Selling browsers.
[QUOTE=aydin690;39822212]Doesn't matter. Nobody is selling browsers anymore. Also, IE is no longer the most used browser.
2013 Internet Explorer Firefox Chrome Safari Opera
January 14.3 % 30.2 % 48.4 % 4.2 % 1.9 %[/QUOTE]
Try and view things from a dumb consumers point of view.
With the screen, they at-least [B]KNOW[/B] there's alternatives.
They didn't otherwise.
Not everyone knows somebody who's computer savvy.
[QUOTE=The golden;39822220]Your average-Joe user who just bought a prefab computer does not know this. He sees IE and thinks that is "how you use internet".[/QUOTE]
Usage stats disagree with that point. IE only has ~15% of the market.
[QUOTE=aydin690;39822241]Usage stats disagree with that point. IE only has ~15% of the market.[/QUOTE]
Because now that other browsers have larger market share, it's easier to accidentally find out about them.
[QUOTE=The golden;39822220]Your average-Joe user who just bought a prefab computer does not know this. He sees IE and thinks that is "how you use internet".[/QUOTE]
Well then how is the average Joe going to know the difference between the different browsers? It's silly to ask someone to make a choice before they know the pitfalls of each browser
[QUOTE=aydin690;39822241]Usage stats disagree with that point. IE only has ~15% of the market.[/QUOTE]
The point
Edge of our solar system
Pluto
The Aliens responsible for sabotaging Curiosity's computer system
Big ol' ball of cheese in the sky
Pollution
Your head
[QUOTE=danharibo;39822264]Because now that other browsers have larger market share, it's easier to accidentally find out about them.[/QUOTE]
and that's why this fine is pointless.
[QUOTE=aydin690;39822278]and that's why this fine is pointless.[/QUOTE]
Do you have a problem reading or something? The fine is for [i]failing[/i] to display the ballot that [i]Microsoft[/i] agreed to show.
[QUOTE=IPK;39822118]You installed Windaws 8,that is your first mistake[/QUOTE]
sorry him and myself have a better, faster, and more polished os than you.
[QUOTE=Van-man;39822276]The point
Edge of our solar system
Pluto
The Aliens responsible for sabotaging Curiosity's computer system
Big ol' ball of cheese in the sky
Pollution
Your head[/QUOTE]
Nope, you're the one who's not getting the point. The point of EU anti-trust laws are to prevent big corporations with monopolies from choking out the smaller guys. The 'big bad corp' in this case has no chance of killing off the competition.
[QUOTE=aydin690;39822307]Nope, you're the one who's not getting the point. The point of EU anti-trust laws are to prevent big corporations with monopolies from choking out the smaller guys. The 'big bad corp' in this case has no chance of killing off the competition.[/QUOTE]
And let's keep it that way by showing no mercy.
Geddit?
[QUOTE=danharibo;39822286]Do you have a problem reading or something? The fine is for [i]failing[/i] to display the ballot that [i]Microsoft[/i] agreed to show.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, but microsoft shouldn't have to do that when everybody and their mom knows about other browsers.
[QUOTE=aydin690;39822316]Yeah, but microsoft shouldn't have to do that [B]when everybody and their mom knows about other browsers.[/B][/QUOTE]
This is a joke, right?
[QUOTE=Van-man;39822326]This is a joke, right?[/QUOTE]
[URL="http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp"]http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp[/URL]
[QUOTE=aydin690;39822316]Yeah, but microsoft shouldn't have to do that when everybody and their mom knows about other browsers.[/QUOTE]
I just introduced my mom to Chrome like a year ago. Plenty of people still use I.E. like my sister and my father.
[QUOTE=The golden;39822146]Before people start to spout nonsense about this - [URL="http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1251921&p=39819420&viewfull=1#post39819420"]please read this post by Van-man[/URL][/QUOTE]
I care more about consumers getting a good experience which, in this case, is delivered through really easy access to the internet without faff and that's what having IE built in provides like I said in my first post. Or any other browser, of course. Some OEMs ship their laptops with Chrome and Firefox.
[editline]6th March 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=Van-man;39822185]Well how big of a market share has IOS?
Their share is also most likely consisting of die-hard fans who worships Apple's every move.[/quote]
You can't actually think this...
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