News from Repeou:
The country Repeou threatens Microsoft to pay a fine as much as 10 percent of its global annual sales for monopoly defenses. The software giant is abusing its monopoly power by bundling several applications such as the Calculator and Paint with Windows.
The process against Microsoft was started by the company named Nisbum. Nisbum developed a great calculator but doesn't see a chance to sell this great product to the masses as long as Microsoft bundles the Calculator with Windows.
According to Repeou, Microsoft must offer at least two separate versions of Windows, one version without the Calculator.
Repeou is giving Microsoft a last opportunity to comment before the case is concluded.
Christian
What are the boundaries of an operating system? The boundaries of operating systems shouldn't be defined by governments, and they shouldn't be defined by competitors.
Update (too many readers take this serious):
This story is a joke - related to the EU case against Microsoft. There is no country with the name Repeou, and I don't know a company named Nisbum. However, you can rearrange the letters of the country and company, and you will get some real values here. BTW, two companies ;-)
I agree that competitors and governments shouldn't set the boundaries of an operating system - but I'm not convinced that vendors should.
Posted by: Iain | 03/25/2004 at 12:35 PM
AUTHOR: Frans Bouma's blog
IP: 000.000.000.000
DATE: 03/25/2004 02:26:00 PM
Posted by: Frans Bouma's blog | 03/25/2004 at 03:26 PM
I can't believe this. What a joke! Like the fast-food lawsuits, next, people will be trying to sue Microsoft for forcing them to use a mouse.
Posted by: Chris | 03/25/2004 at 05:45 PM
That is just insane. The calculator in windows has been around much longer than this company probably. When did the calculator show up, Windows 1 or 3.1?
Posted by: Matt Hawley | 03/25/2004 at 05:50 PM
Google doesn't return any hits for nisbum calculator or for Repeou.
Posted by: JD | 03/25/2004 at 06:25 PM
Is this satire or just insanity?
Posted by: Jim Bolla | 03/25/2004 at 06:26 PM
Of course there is nor real country like Repeou, and I don't know a company Nisbum. However you can turn the letters around for something meaningful.
Posted by: Christian | 03/25/2004 at 06:26 PM
Matt, JD, Jim - this is satire. Compare it with the current EU lawsuit (WMP) and an older US lawsuit (IE) to get your own opinion about it.
Posted by: Christian | 03/25/2004 at 06:34 PM
Christian- I have developed a superior brand of satire but am unable to sell it because you're bundling it with your blog. Our lawyers will be contacting you. -MetaSarcasm.com, Inc.
Posted by: Jon Galloway | 03/25/2004 at 06:47 PM
great! ;)
Posted by: David Cumps | 03/25/2004 at 07:56 PM
Why not have everything (WMP, calc, paint, explorer,...) be a package that OEMs could replace? This might also help for security and small installs: just pick the packages you want. You might even have the choice between multiple media players or window managers... This will also help MS in future lawsuits. If Repeou wants a version without WMP, it's really easy for MS to do so, just change a config file for EU CDs. Of course, since the Microsoft packages will be better, the best distro will be the MS one. But competitors won't complain about MS not being fair play.
Posted by: Dumky | 03/25/2004 at 08:49 PM
Dumky, there is a very good reason not to create many different packages: as an application developer I want to know what's available with the operating system. My applications use features that are already there, I'm not rewriting code because I'm not sure if it's on the desktop of the user. Because you mentionn Linux - how is this with Linux? This is a very similar problem with Linux! And this is the reason why RedHat is gaining market share and all other distributions are loosing.
Posted by: Christian | 03/25/2004 at 09:10 PM
as an application developer I want to know what's available with the operating system. My applications use features that are already there, I'm not rewriting code because I'm not sure if it's on the desktop of the user. Do you really develop programs that need Calculator, Paint or WMP? Gimmeabreak. Opereting systems should be what operating systems really are: a platform to run applications. In this case, that might include a collection of codecs and an easy-to-use API to play video and sound and download more codecs. NOT a format crippled animated multimedia circus with an embedded web browser and a CD burner.
Posted by: Aki Bjrklund | 03/25/2004 at 09:59 PM
Aki, Internet Explorer is a lot more than the user interface. Visual Studio is an example of an application that makes use of the WebBrowser control. I'm also using the WebBrowser control in my applications, and I'm using API calls that are part of the WebBrowser. The same is true for the WMP. WMP is more than the user interface. Some accessibility options make use of WMP. OK, now you may say that MS should leave this in the OS and just remove the UI. This was never an option. The governments always asked to remove the features completely and not just turn the UI off (US with Internet Explorer and EU with WMP).
Posted by: Christian | 03/25/2004 at 10:16 PM
Internet Explorer is is not more than the UI. The (seriously out-of-date) rendering engine is a separate component that can be used, like you said, in any application. I am not an anti-MS idiot. I just hate crappy bundled software that slow down competition and innovation.
Posted by: Aki Bjrklund | 03/25/2004 at 11:20 PM
Whats a calculator?
Posted by: Guldifet con | 03/26/2004 at 01:51 AM
omg, dongs. LOLOL.
Posted by: niggerknocker | 03/26/2004 at 01:59 AM
AUTHOR: Dino Esposito's WebLog
IP: 000.000.000.000
DATE: 03/26/2004 10:11:00 AM
Posted by: Dino Esposito's WebLog | 03/26/2004 at 11:11 AM
AUTHOR: Nick's Delphi Blog
IP: 000.000.000.000
DATE: 03/26/2004 11:01:00 AM
Posted by: Nick's Delphi Blog | 03/26/2004 at 12:01 PM
I guess we should have auto makers remove the radios from cars since they are not needed for the automobile to provide its intended function. I just hate crappy bundled stock stereos that slow down competition and innovation. What an idiot.
Posted by: Chris C. | 03/26/2004 at 04:43 PM
Heh. Microsoft should be forced to remove the graphical user interface as well! Does anyone care about the companies that create graphical user interfaces?
Posted by: hast | 03/26/2004 at 05:46 PM
Look, the law is the law, break it and you get punished. European law applies to all people doing business or living in Europe - REGARDLESS of your companies nationality, or the size of your home countries GDP, or the size of your standing army (ad nauseum). Fast and loose is no way to go in legal matters, and Microsoft are exactly that.
Posted by: Duh | 03/26/2004 at 06:55 PM
Microsoft included native support for hard drives in what? MS-DOS 3. Native support for mice in MS-DOS 4. How dare Microsoft drive the poor device driver vendors out of business. Media Player is just an advanced version of Microsoft Sound and Microsoft Recorder which have been in the OS since 3.0.
Posted by: Brian R. James | 03/26/2004 at 07:14 PM
Secretgeek has a similar entry. It's funny, check it out: www16.brinkster.com/messydesk/db/MsCompuCalc.asp
Posted by: pds | 03/26/2004 at 07:26 PM
top stuff Christian! ;+) (great minds think alike hey)
Posted by: SecretGeek | 03/28/2004 at 11:00 AM