Comments on: EU antitrust boss wins my pick in '08 Oscar race

Neelie Kroes made her point in yet again sticking it to Microsoft. But was this really necessary? I mean, really.

[drhowarddrfine]

Does it do any good? When you break the law, the judge can slap your wrist. Then you get fined. Then you get locked up. Microsoft better hope they don't get locked up or locked out from Europe next time.

[tundraboy]

I am thankful that at least one antitrust authority is standing up to Microsoft after the U.S. Justice Department basically walked away with its tail tucked in at the behest of the Bushies.

You don't seem to get it. Microsoft is a predatory monopolist. It is today's version of Standard Oil. And it continues to wield it's market power to illegally swat competitors aside. It's four years now and it still hasn't completely or effectively complied with the remedies it agreed to implement 4 years ago. And we still don't know if it's current embrace of 'openness' is just another smokescreen.

The consent decree allowing the US courts to monitor Microsoft's behaviour was extended for a couple of years but it will eventually end. You think Microsoft will not drift back to it's old ways of using coercive, illegal means to eliminate its' competitors? I don't think you're that naive.

[Vegaman_Dan]

And if MS gets 'locked up' or 'locked out' from Europe, who does that punish really? I would think the consumers in Europe should have a say in this, but the EU isn't about consumer interest.

[MTGrizzly]

Who gets punished by MS being kicked out of Europe? Certainly not the consumers. Not only is MS anti-competitive, they make lousy products - as monopolies are prone to do. It would be terrible, (for MS that is), to see a whole continent go to open source software, wouldn't it... [heavy sarcasm here]

It will never happen, of course, but one can dream...

[farlinax]

This is ridiculous - go look up the definition of a monopoly. There ARE alternatives to Microsoft. The very fact that Microsoft owns a majority of the market encourages innovation by competitors (open source, etc).

I encourage you to turn off your monitors and pick up an economics 101 textbook.

[farlinax]

and I meant that to the general comments... not yours MTGrizzly :)

[georgiarat]

Even in the US where Microsoft has products available for other systems (Office for Mac) the new version will not translate documents from Office 2007 to Office for Mac 2008. They also have not developed translators for Office to Mac 2004. In the meantime Apple had translators for Office 2007 to its own products Pages, Numbers, Keynote last fall. One would believe Microsoft would have ensured the new version of Office in January would have had plenty of time to incorporate the translators. They did not and one can guess why. To make it as difficult as possible for the Mac to integrate for customers. Once again they use their near monopoly position to affect the market.

[Newspeak finder]

The message is simple to all US companies.

Your predatory days are over.

To every company it is now totally obvious. If you want to sell in the EU obey our laws or get out.