Microsoft To Block Competing Browsers In Windows 8, RT Edition

This flies in the face of both EU law and the consent decree that followed the DOJ lawsuit against Microsoft. I can only hope that further legal action follows but I am not holding my breath.

Well, again, I hate playing the devil's advocate, but...

Why? Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly on ARM hardware. Only on the PC.

But they want one desperately on ARM, as well. (Okay, "on ARM, as well" was unnecessary in that statement.) Putting the equivalent of UEFI on ARM is definitely a step in that direction.

EDIT: Oops. I was conflating "Windows only" with "Internet Exploder only." But, given the abominable security histories of each, I wouldn't say there's much difference anyway.

but... but.... but... don't you remember?

IE is an inextricable part of Windows, and the whole Windows OS will just collapse (or at least inevitably limp, stutter, and suffer from a host of problems and generally flaky behaviour) if you even try to make do with something else in its place :-P



(IOW: Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it)

@jdixon: I don't think you can divide the desktop market by architecture. In the market as a whole Microsoft still has upwards of 80% marketshare putting them in a virtual monopoly position. I think the case could easily be made that this is monopolistic behavior that flies in the face of US law as well.

> I don't think you can divide the desktop market by architecture.

I would be inclined to agree with you. But the court findings of fact in the Microsoft case didn't cover that ground.

> I think the case could easily be made that this is monopolistic behavior that flies in the face of US law as well.

Quite likely, but somehow I don't see the Holder DOJ pursing the matter. They seem to have other priorities.

I'm not getting into a political debate about this administration. I will say that nothing major like this would happen in *any* administration before an election.

Quoting:But the court findings of fact in the Microsoft case didn't cover that ground.

If Apple was counted as a competitor then architecture isn't part of the monopoly, since Apple at the time wasn't on x86.

I might as well jump in here, though it might get deleted. I actually agree with caitlyn on this one, but I'll go further. I don't think anything major like this, or any action against MS, will happen with *any* administration we're likely to have, period. Read into that what you like.

Khamul, we disagree sharply. I do think some action will be taken. Just not now.

@caitlyn

If it takes long enough (not all that long), the damage will probably much outweigh any "remedies" that may eventually get imposed.

Perhaps, Bernard Swiss, perhaps. My crystal ball isn't working today so I can't know for sure.

"Outlook unclear. Try again later."

"You're screwed. Deal with it."