EU rakes over Microsoft's browser ballot proposal

Last minute

So, after the Windows 7 E nonsense, there is still no final decision. It's now too late to make any changes to the Windows 7 release in Europe. The EU is still looking at an 'antitrust' issue regarding browsers which was only relevant a decade ago.

By Stiggy on 28 Sep 2009

Cash cow

Do they know there's a deadline?
Oh, silly me, I'm sure M$ can just delay the release until the bureaucrats finish 'thinking'.
Either that, or the EU is waiting until after the release, - and fine M$ yet again for something...

By greemble on 28 Sep 2009

Dumming down

Once again eutocrats think everyone else is too thick to know what a choice of browsers is.

By darkhairedlord on 28 Sep 2009

Dumming down

Once again eutocrats think everyone else is too thick to know what a choice of browsers is.

By darkhairedlord on 28 Sep 2009

Duplicate posts

great aren't they!
And spreading thier contagion

By darkhairedlord on 28 Sep 2009

Naive

Q: The EU will never let us get away with a ballot screen, what shall we do?

A: Stall the EU with that silly 'E edition' idea then introduce the ballot screen when it's too late for them to intervene.

By Mark_Thompson on 28 Sep 2009

"Stall the EU with that silly 'E edition' idea then introduce the ballot screen when it's too late for them to intervene."

And then wait for the EU to hit us with yet another anti-trust fine.
Brilliant!

By greemble on 28 Sep 2009

Not the EU's problem

The EC needs to get its decision right at the first attempt, this takes time, like all these antitrust cases do.

The release of Windows 7 is Microsofts problem, not the problem of the EC. It doesn't make sense that the EC should rush its investigation because Microsoft is launching a new product. Microsoft isn't forced to bundle Internet Explorer with Windows 7, and can stop so at any moment, regardless of where the EC is in its decisionmaking proces.

Honestly, it's very simple. If Microsoft is convinced that its bundling of Internet Explorer is legal (which I doubt), it should continue to do so and aim to win this thing in the European Court. If not, then it should have never started the bundling, and not be surprised when it faces another big fine.

By Woudenberg on 28 Sep 2009

Presumably MS has put a Cancel option on the ballot screen, so users can 'just get on with it' and never be 'troubled' with a choice again!
Of course MS wants to get its product launched, but its not like either the court case or the Win7 launch has not been coming for a long time, so MS could have chosen to allow more time.
I'd love to see the EU stand up to the predictably self-serving tactics of some of the world's larger monopolies....and then disband itself!

By davidsoap on 29 Sep 2009

@Woudenberg

"Microsoft isn't forced to bundle Internet Explorer with Windows 7, and can stop so at any moment, regardless of where the EC is in its decisionmaking proces."

Isn't that what they were proposing with the release of the E version of windows 7? Look how far that got them, the EC complained that it was even worse for the consumer than the regular bundled version. I don't think they will be happy unless the users get a choice of installing every broswer other than IE8 when windows is installing.

By Shuflie on 30 Sep 2009