Text 10278, 70 rader
Skriven 2005-08-07 09:11:00 av THURSTON ACKERMAN (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av ALAN ZISMAN
Ärende: Re: MS could very well ta
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AZ> AA> "TOM WALKER -> AUGUST ABOLINS" <1:123/140> wrote..

AZ> TW>   As time goes on and the Version numbers advance MicroSoft is
AZ> TW>   Intergerating OE and IE tighter and tighter into the operating System
AZ> TW>   Expect any version released with the Next ver of Windows whatever to
AZ> TW>   Solidly Integerated part of the OS.
AZ> TW> I believe it has already been announced that any Future versions of
AZ> TW> IE/OE will NOT be Backward Compatable at all.Just like them made 6
AZ> TW> Incompatable with Win95 7 will be incmpatabl;e also. Adn even move
AZ> TW> things up a notch like dropping NT/98/2000?"?

AZ> AA> I thought the whole point of the law suit against MS a few years ago
AZ> AA> was about the very fact that IE was tightly integrated into the OS.  MS
AZ> AA> lost the case and ended up paying a pile of money.  Someone correct me
AZ> AA> if that IE/OS integration (making IE hard to disable or uninstall
AZ> AA> without compromising the integrity of the OS) was not an issue in the
AZ> AA> case.  The whole point was to allow the option to use other browser
AZ> AA> products if the customer wished.

AZ>IE-integration WAS brought up at the trial but was not the central point, wh
AZ>was far more focused on moves that MS made to pressure various OEMs to make
AZ>sure that they only sold systems with Windows pre-installed. As a result, mo
AZ>of the remedies ordered by the court focused on MS's interaction with the OE
AZ>including (in an article (http://www.zisman.ca/Articles/BIV/2000/BIV556.htm)
AZ>published in 2000):

AZ>* Microsoft must create uniform, public pricing and conditions for
AZ>supplying Windows to
AZ>computer manufacturers, putting an end to practices that let Microsoft play
AZ>favourites.

AZ>* Microsoft cannot use
AZ>the availability of a Windows licence as a threat. This gives manufacturers
AZ>more freedom to bundle non-Microsoft products with their computers. As well,
AZ>manufacturers can freely produce systems set up with non-Microsoft operating
AZ>systems.

Such as the PowerSpec PCs with Linspire-linux OEM OS (like that
I recently bought from MCI; and the SysteMax PCs with Linspire OS
(like the 2 year old box I am useing now with windose) and I hear
Dell is getting in the market; so come on in, the weather is great !-)

Z>* Computer manufacturers can onfigure Windows the way they want. (In
my AZ>opinion, this can be problematic. In the mid-1990s, many companies
offered AZ>highly customized versions of Windows 3.1, resulting in
confusion for consum AZ>and technical support. We need a balance
between manufacturers' desire to AZ>differentiate their products or
respond to cu benefits of a AZ>common plat AZ>* Microsoft must publish
any "secret stuff" in Windows that may impact softw AZ>companies'
ability to produce applications. If Microsoft wants to make chang AZ>to
its operating system that impact other companies' hardware or software
AZ>products, it must notify those companies in advance.

AZ> AA> If MS wants to present a "new OS model" that specifically integrates a
AZ> AA> browser to the OS, then I believe it is possible that there will be a
AZ> AA> general migration away from Windows product to something that allows
AZ> AA> more flexibility to the customer.   Other alternative OS's have matured
AZ> AA> in the last few years (w.r.t. easy installation) to make them viable
AZ> AA> choices.

AZ>While I'd like to think otherwise, I'm pessimistic that other OSs will make
AZ>much of a dent in the MS quasi-monopoly over desktop OSs, at least not in th
AZ>next few years. Look over my list of the 2000 court orders and think about t
AZ>what extent they have made any real difference.
AZ>... -- az (co-moderator: Win95) email to: alan at zisman dot ca
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