10 Years After Antitrust Suit, Microsoft Up to Old Tricks

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Microsoft is breaking the law until they're enforced to retract it?

But we've trusted them with everything they've done so far!

Well, apart from the Vendor Lock-in, False accusations of Piracy, the Halloween documents, forced licencing agreements, Windows 7 Super-Basic, replacing R&D with M&A, Skype's problems, Hotmail's problems, Vista, ME, CE, NT, 98 blocking non-Americans, Monoculture viruses, Labour practices, bribing Advertisers, blacklisting, censorship, banning gay words, installing security software on its RL workers, race changing photographs, Embrace - extend and extinguish, self-destructive life cycles, appeals to FUD, Win 32 shatter attack response, lost backward compatability, SPF registry, DRM, upgrades, downgrades and 8 replicating an Xbox.

That's almost as bad as stealing forty cakes!

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Why does it matter that you can't delete it? That doesn't mean you have to use it, eh?

Yeah, this is the first thing I can think of.

Because it's illegal. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.84459-European-Union-Takes-On-Microsoft-Updated]

And because Microsoft tried it against Google. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/108918-Microsoft-Files-Antitrust-Complaint-Against-Google]

 

[Aeshi]

Willing to bet that the people whining about how evil this is would be the first to start whining about how there's no back-up browser if their primary browser ever failed/got corrupted.

 

[Tuqui]

"And when Windows 8 launches in a year or so, I will likely never click on that big blue "e" to open Explorer anyway."

Apart from using it to download a different browser, the only thing it's good for.

Not even that, an useful pen drive will hold last installer version of other browser to not even need to touch it.

 

[ritchards]

Never mind the new 10 being integrated, I've tried to install 8 and then 9, but neither will install properly, and nothing uninstalls properly so I can try a clean install... so it's all screwed up as usual...

 

[SextusMaximus]

Oh no, my disc space will be very slightly reduced.

This one makes no difference to me whatsoever.

 

[funksobeefy]

The first thing I always do when I start up a new computer, mine a friends, or familys,is to uninstall IE and install Firefox.

 

[Twilight_guy]

10 years ago is nearly per-histroy in computer terms. Things change and this isn't that bad anymore. Whats more is that most people who would care about whether or not they can delete one program are the kinds of guys who install unix with no default system functions and then manually install the ones they like, or install some extremely cut down version of Linux that is basically nothing more then the kernel with File IO and a string buffer text editor. (those guys scare me).

 

[BehattedWanderer]

As long as I can change which browser is the default, I don't really care. I'd like to delete it altogether, being a person who routinely gets rid of things I'm not using, and install both firefox and chrome, for the main and backup browsers respectively, and be on my merry way. But, as long as it doesn't interfere with things, then I'd be fine with it just sitting in the back, not taking up power, processing, or utility.

 

[danirax]

I dont see whats wrong whit that.
it even looks helpful because IE the most helpful browser to download other browsers.
and there are all kinds of files that can be open only whit IE and none other browser tho they are rare and common users wont notice or will have need for them....

 

[weirdee]

Knowing Windows, if it's there, it's got some way of siphoning tons of resources even though it does completely nothing, only allowing you to disable it once you've gotten past any contrived security clearances, accessing specific menus, and knowing what the hell each function does by name, and maybe a sparse and vague description when you mouse over it. A lot of functions amount to crap that is about as useful as, say, the ability to know how many feathers are on a chicken at any given moment.*

*Note: chicken feather counting only available with Professional Edition.

 

[JesterRaiin]

it's not technically illegal

Words that define modern world.

Words that defined older generations even better.

Nope.

The first thing I always do when I start up a new computer, mine a friends, or familys,is to uninstall IE and install Firefox.

In that order?

Why not ?

 

[Link XL1]

everyone keeps saying "its not like you have to use it", or "its not that big a deal" but if you dont fight this shit now, then pretty soon they'll say you cant uninstall it AND you cant install anything else. after that they'll be monitoring your pc at all times, seeing what porn you're watching and reading all of your posts on forums. pretty soon microsoft will change their name to Big Brother...

 

[duchaked]

as long as IE still allows one to download other browsers

or just not use their next OS period

 

[MorganL4]

What are you talking about???? IE is brilliant..... Downloading Firefox was never easier.

 

[newwiseman]

Considering Windows 8 Metro is aimed at the tablet market and the iOS is married to Safari I don't see a problem here.

There are still other browsers you can use on them, your not forced to use either one. At least MS is giving the option of turning IE off.

I'd care if I wasn't posting this from a box running Ubuntu.

Chances are the people who care enough about controlling their own computers have already stopped using Microsoft products anyway. I know I have. I'm very interested in finding out where the rest of you are going to finally draw the line; if you ever do.

Indeed, the hypocrisy in these type of threads is very amusing.

If Ubuntu ever releases a build for ARM tablets I'd be a very happy boy.

everyone keeps saying "its not like you have to use it", or "its not that big a deal" but if you dont fight this shit now, then pretty soon they'll say you cant uninstall it AND you cant install anything else. after that they'll be monitoring your pc at all times, seeing what porn you're watching and reading all of your posts on forums. pretty soon microsoft will change their name to Big Brother...

You mean they'll become Apple?

 

[Zefar]

I think they can get away with it by doing it in a certain way.

They are not allowed to ship IE with Windows OS right?

So here's what they do.

Supply it in a FREE patch for the OS after the user has installed it and the update is not mandatory.

Thus EU laws should not be able to get them then. Personally I don't care if they shipped it with the OS right away. Because they MADE it and they should damn well be able to put anything in it that people get for free.

I use Opera for almost everything but IE comes up when I visit 2 pages. Both are not very common though.

No one seems to whine when Apple ships their OS with plenty of stuff. Like their Webbrowser. No one seems to raise an eyebrow for it.

 

[Zukhramm]

everyone keeps saying "its not like you have to use it", or "its not that big a deal" but if you dont fight this shit now, then pretty soon they'll say you cant uninstall it AND you cant install anything else. after that they'll be monitoring your pc at all times, seeing what porn you're watching and reading all of your posts on forums. pretty soon microsoft will change their name to Big Brother...

I wouldn't mind. It's their OS, they can make it have an unremovable picture of Steve Ballmer shouting profanities through my speakers covering half the screen. It's their OS. If I don't like it, I'll use something else.