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October 30, 2006 | Comments: (0)
Google to MS: Let users choose
McAfee and Symantec aren't the only companies asking Microsoft to play fair with its forthcoming Vista OS. Searchasaurus Google today urged Big Red to ensure that with its future products, users can easily choose among search tools and apps.
This request was made in Belgium by David C. Drummond, senior vice president of corporate development at Google, according to reports, after a meeting with antitrust regulators for the European Union. "It's been our view that any new version of Microsoft products that include search, that that be done in a way that preserves user choice for search and other applications," Drummond said, according to the Associated Press.
Microsoft, which has been hankering for a piece of the profitable search market, has been pushing its Live search engine.
The EU expressed competition concerns to Microsoft in a letter last March, citing the company's "plans to bundle in an Internet search function, a digital rights management program and software for creating fixed document format comparable to PDF, and security features," the IDG News Service reported.
"We are concerned about the possibility that Vista will include software elements which are available separately -- either sold by Microsoft or by other software companies," commission spokesman Jonathan Todd said then.
Todd added last March, "There is also the possibility that we won't have all the technical information needed for competitors to make their software interoperable with Vista."
The latter sentiment was rather prophetic, as McAfee and Symantec, along with other security ISVs, have cried foul that Microsoft hasn't given them what they need to ensure their security wares run correctly on Vista.
Microsoft continues to deny any wrongdoing.
As for Google, the company spokesman said that it's too early to tell whether it has cause yet to make antitrust allegations.
Posted by Ted Samson on October 30, 2006 05:16 PM
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- COMMENTS
Microsoft is the greediest corporation in the history of commerce. They make the Halliburtons look like Pollyanna Inc.
All that Bill Gates philanthropy is nothing more than tax evasion.
Would using the same strategies the current Dubba U administration's used to overthrow a hostile dictator in the effort to control an energy supply be worth considering for controlling the worlds knowledge resorces? What is Microsoft's long range plan? Is it time for government to step in and really screw it up like the did HD TV? All I know is there's to much power in one mans hands.
Posted by: Sharkbyte at October 31, 2006 11:19 AMMicrosoft is to the Software Industry as Walmart is to the Discount Retail Marketplace.
Posted by: justjarhead at October 31, 2006 11:55 AMMicrosoft is one of the most mean spirited companies in the history.
It is unbelievable that in this this world of customer freedom,
a company can virtually tax computer buyers. I had to pay for xp
when I bought my dell laptop though I never use xp.
A major Apple advertising campaign is that doing things in Microsoft OSes (thick-glasses PC guy) has to be installed separately. When Microsoft tries to integrate stuff into their OSes, they get press thanks to Google or lawsuits. On top of that, they get the old "MS is ebil quotes" from the MS bashing community. However, when Apple (the young, trendy dude in that commercial) does it, it's something to brag about. It must bite for Microsoft.
So, if Microsoft puts in the alternative search option, I'll be impressed.
Posted by: jb at October 31, 2006 09:01 PM''A major Apple advertising campaign is that doing things in Microsoft OSes (thick-glasses PC guy) has to be installed separately. When Microsoft tries to integrate stuff into their OSes, they get press thanks to Google or lawsuits.''
That would be one of the drawbacks of being a monopoly. Correction: A monopoly that abuses it's market position.
Posted by: Jimmy James at November 1, 2006 01:54 AM"That would be one of the drawbacks of being a monopoly. Correction: A monopoly that abuses it's market position."
Yep, so if Apple becomes the dominant OS, they'll start getting the same press.
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