OT: MS fined $1.3B

DrLumen wrote on 2/27/2008, 12:44 PM
EU slaps Microsoft with $1.35 billion fine.

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9880256-7.html?tag=nefd.lede

It seems like a lot but M$ makes a lot. It was also their lack of action that caused the fine. Pretty much their own fault IMO.

intel i-4790k / Asus Z97 Pro / 32GB Crucial RAM / Nvidia GTX 560Ti / 500GB Samsung SSD / 256 GB Samsung SSD / 2-WDC 4TB Black HDD's / 2-WDC 1TB HDD's / 2-HP 23" Monitors / Various MIDI gear, controllers and audio interfaces

Comments

apit34356 wrote on 2/27/2008, 4:06 PM
10.3 billion would have more impact on MS! But 1.3 billion will have to due. Its sad when MS spends +1 billion for bad X360s on repairs, but is fined only pennies for their aggressive practices.
p@mast3rs wrote on 2/27/2008, 4:12 PM
Thats sad. Seems like Europeans want to boost their economy at someone else's expense. MS should tell the Europeans to piss off and not sell one more license to their citizens. Then we would see what side their citizens would take when they have only $$$$ Macs and Linux (little software support) to use.
Cliff Etzel wrote on 2/27/2008, 4:28 PM
There is broader support for open source software in Europe compared to the U.S.

About the only applications lacking on Linux right now are a solid NLE and a real Photoshop equivalent. Ubuntu already has a solid project for working with audio using Ubuntu Studio.

The only thing keeping more apps from being ported to Linux is the lack of demand. If p@t's scenario were to actually occur, I bet there would be sufficient VC infused into some euro software company to develop and sell these kinds of apps.

With Wine now being shown to run Vegas 5, it's only a matter of time before these linux programmers figure a way to implement other libraries to allow newer software apps to work within Wine.

Cliff Etzel - Immersive Video Journalist
bluprojekt | ImmersiveVJcom
farss wrote on 2/27/2008, 5:47 PM
I'm right behind you. The EU has resorted to some pretty bad behaviour themselves. We can no longer buy a bottle of any wine with a French name unless it was made in France. Not that any sane person would want to drink any of their glycol laced dishwater anyway or that anyone would think a bottle of "Moselle" clearly labelled "Made in Australia" was made on the banks of the Moselle River.

Just to up the ante we've banned the import of any EU cheese, just in case some foot and mouth disease came along for the ride. And now we're growing our own truffles, soon we'll finally get Her Maj out of our parliament and stop Alliance Francaise preventing us from saying Le Television in French classes.

Not that wine and cheese has anything to do with video. What does get a bit closer to home is Thompson's Infiniticam. We were very keen on buying one, only problem was the thing was a toaster pumping out 60W of heat into the operators ear. About the same time that the camera was in dire straights and really was just too late to market to gain any traction the EU diggs up some complaint about Sony dumping cameras into the EU. Curious coincidence?

And then there was the EBU's tussle with Sony over HD standards. Sony had the technical data to show they were right but heck, Sony isn't European.

Bob.