zlacker

>>mfwit+(OP)
Windows is just full of hostile, anti-user patterns these days. I've considered building a windows box just to have a gaming rig multiple times over the last few years, but every time an article like this or their crusade against Chrome reminds me that Bill Gates is still the same anti-trust monster he was in the 90s.

>>frob+Z1
Dear European-Union!

How about enforcing direct control about Microsoft business? Not just another “low” fine in the ten to twenty billion range. Just stopping Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon.

Enforcing AT&T to not enter any new business worked well. In consequence we got UNIX, C, open-source and documentation and finally the TCP/IP-stack of BSD, GNU and Linux. This had a positive effect for the complete computing industry and society. Reagan relaxed all rules, allowed AT&T to split up - the results were bad. No IT company had to fear any regulation afterwards, either politics didn’t want regulate or didn’t understand computing at all.

We don’t need this companies with too much power using incompatibility, vendor lock-in and storing away our data (the newest approach).

Chances for regulation Europe seem a little better? Less lobbyists and less tax money involved and people don’t believe in capitalism. Too late (10xtimes) and too little but at least they react.

>>ho_sch+nj
Hmmm, interesting. How would this be implemented in practice? EU passing laws about specific things that Microsoft should and shouldn't do?

>>aerzen+Hx
EU can only implement laws regarding companies doing buisness in europe.

EU cannot tell Microsoft in general what to do.

>>hutzli+GJ
It can tell what Microsoft does in Europe. But, of course, MS can always decide to abandon the region instead of complying too.

>>marcos+hO
That "region" is a very big market. So that is not really an option for them. On the other hand large parts of the economy and government in the EU are totally dependant on Microsoft products and would be screwed if they would pull the plug.

>>hutzli+TY
IMO, abandoning the EU would be fatal to MS, not exactly because of lost revenue but because of second order effects. But I didn't want to put my opinion on the GP post.

>>marcos+W11
"but because of second order effects. "

Which is why Bill Gates personally intervened, when Munich switched to Linux a couple of years ago.

>>hutzli+n61
Munich itself is weird case. There some smaller municipalities which have done better with Linux, lower-saxony and the police and the recent switch to Matrix of the Army.

Regarding Munich: Three competing IT-Departments! Repeat, three. An own special distribution. They didn’t migrated all applications (either do it or not) and a lot of stuff was always done on Windows. Finally Microsoft moved a headquarter to Munich and solved it with “tax money”.

Rumors say that the reverse migration to Microsoft itself was also “bumpy”. Let me guess, three IT-Departments?

The former major of Munich also gave an interesting interview about the “experience”.