Monday, July 27th 2009
European Commission Welcomes New Microsoft Proposals on MSIE and Interoperability
The European Commission can confirm that Microsoft has proposed a consumer ballot screen as a solution to the pending antitrust case about the tying of Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser with Windows. This followed extensive discussions with the Commission which centred on a remedy outlined in the January 2009 Statement of Objections (see MEMO/09/15) whereby consumers would be shown a "ballot screen" from which they could - if they wished - easily install competing web browsers, set one of those browsers as a default, and disable Internet Explorer. Under the proposal, Windows 7 would include Internet Explorer, but the proposal recognises the principle that consumers should be given a free and effective choice of web browser, and sets out a means - the ballot screen - by which Microsoft believes that can be achieved. In addition OEMs would be able to install competing web browsers, set those as default and disable Internet Explorer should they so wish. The Commission welcomes this proposal, and will now investigate its practical effectiveness in terms of ensuring genuine consumer choice.
As the Commission indicated in June (see MEMO/09/272 ), the Commission was concerned that, should Microsoft's conduct prove to have been abusive, Microsoft's intention to separate Internet Explorer from Windows, without measures such as a ballot screen, would not necessarily have achieved greater consumer choice in practice and would not have been an effective remedy.
Microsoft has also made proposals in relation to disclosures of interoperability information that would improve the interoperability between third party products and Windows and Windows Server. Again, these proposals require further investigation before the Commission reaches any conclusion as to the next steps.
Microsoft's proposals will be published in full on its website. The Commission has no further comment at this stage.
Source:
Europa
As the Commission indicated in June (see MEMO/09/272 ), the Commission was concerned that, should Microsoft's conduct prove to have been abusive, Microsoft's intention to separate Internet Explorer from Windows, without measures such as a ballot screen, would not necessarily have achieved greater consumer choice in practice and would not have been an effective remedy.
Microsoft has also made proposals in relation to disclosures of interoperability information that would improve the interoperability between third party products and Windows and Windows Server. Again, these proposals require further investigation before the Commission reaches any conclusion as to the next steps.
Microsoft's proposals will be published in full on its website. The Commission has no further comment at this stage.
129 Comments on European Commission Welcomes New Microsoft Proposals on MSIE and Interoperability
So either way, if Intel pulls out of the market, AMD prices will skyrocket.
Your headphone amp example has nothing to do with this (and is wrong anyway). The official US Fiio distributor is Head-Direct, and they price the E5 at around $20-25. The higher priced ones are just price-gougers. Not to mention, the volume of Fiio products is insignificant compared to Intel or AMD volumes, and that makes a huge difference.
You're still wrong here.
none of this matters tho, because as you will admit, even if they gotta pay the fine, they wont leave the market because it would mean even more losses from a market where they do make a hell of alot of money.
in the end no large company will leave any market that makes it money, even if they endup having to pay crazy high fines for stuff they did thats against the law( be it a good law or a bad law, that dosnt matter here)