Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Windows supporter, "Opera" started a boycott campaign

Supporters of the Windows JCXP.Net "Boycott Opera" campaign began. Opera Software that Microsoft is asking users to participate in the complaints have started a lawsuit against the Antimonopoly Act.

The European Union (EU) that Microsoft was the opportunity to begin a survey of antitrust for European Union, Opera's complaint submitted to the year 2007.

JCXP there is June 12, started a boycott campaign. JCXP managing editor, David Taraso said in a blog, Microsoft of violating anti-trust lawsuit in the Opera and the boycott that led to the decision, he wrote the following.

Today, Opera Software bundled to completely boycott.

Opera action is legitimate in a way that companies can not share, the less popular Windows browsers just trying to push the system. Opera is simply, and not just their share of the browser market, Google's "Chrome" and the Apple "Safari" They are angry about being taken to share.

Then Taraso said June 14 that is described in more detail why the boycott movement to push this blog.

One may want to clarify. I do not have Opera and Opera browsers are not hated (actually, my 2008 year MEINBURAUZA "Opera 9" was). Opera is a long time, and browser vendors in the market brought about a great innovation, I have admired it. However, in the EU's antitrust that Opera is trying to do it, do not agree. I, Opera is that I should take a bigger market share. However, Microsoft decided to push for Windows to advertise their products can not agree with.

Last week, the European Commission (EC), as PC makers remedies "screen voting" has come to consider the introduction. This is the Windows PC users to choose the browser that allows you to start, Microsoft is trying to circumvent the measures that the voting screen, "Internet Explorer 8" Not bundled "Windows 7" to provide the European market announced the plan. Representatives of the Opera, Microsoft's Windows 7 "E" plan to address the concerns they have expressed the view that is not enough.

What do you all think? Opera boycott, Windows bundled with IE in violation of the people to think that a gesture of their own, I think the best way?

Monday, June 8, 2009

Russia launches antitrust case against Microsoft over XP

Russian antitrust regulators are investigating Microsoft's retirement of Windows XP and could file formal charges as early as next month, according to a government statement on Thursday.

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) accused Microsoft of abusing its dominant position in the operating system market by pulling Windows XP from retail in June 2008, thus forcing users to buy Vista -- even though demand for the former remained high.

"Analysis of various operating systems show that the transition to the new operating system Windows Vista comes with the continued demand for the previous operating system, Windows XP," said FAS in a Thursday statement (as translated by Google Translate). "Demand of Windows XP is also confirmed by retailers and the number of orders in the field of public procurement."

FAS also charged Microsoft with violating Russian antitrust laws by setting different prices for the same product, a possible reference to the practice where Microsoft lets computer makers factory-downgrade PCs to XP Professional from either Vista Business or Vista Ultimate, the two highest-priced retail editions of that 2007 operating system.

"The case against Microsoft Corp. will be considered July 24, 2009," said FAS.

Microsoft did put an end to retail sales of Windows XP Home and Professional last June, although the former remains available to netbook makers and the latter can be installed as a downgrade from Vista. Microsoft has said it will stop shipping downgrade XP media to OEMs at the end of July, but there have been signs the aging operating system will live on; reports have claimed that a free or discounted upgrade to Windows 7 will be offered to customers who purchase a downgraded-to-XP PC between June 26, 2009, and Jan. 31, 2010.

Microsoft said it has not seen the formal complaint. "Microsoft has not yet received notice of any new investigation," said company spokesman Jack Evans in an e-mail Friday. "However, we will cooperate with any inquiry and remain committed to full compliance with Russian law."

Parts of the FAS explanation for its investigation resemble a lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court by a California woman last February. At the time, Emma Alvarado accused Microsoft of breaking consumer protection laws by barring computer makers from continuing to offer XP on new PCs after Vista's early-2007 launch. Alvarado's case, which is seeking class-action status, is on hold while the courts consider Microsoft's request that it be rolled into other antitrust issues that go as far back as 1998.

Microsoft is also facing antirust action in the European Union, which filed charges against the company in January over its bundling of Internet Explorer (IE) with Windows. The EU's antitrust agency is expected to order Microsoft to change Windows so that it offers users a "ballot screen" where they can choose from a number of browsers, including IE and rivals such as Mozilla's Firefox and Opera Software's Opera.

Late last month, Microsoft canceled a hearing on the charges, saying that senior regulators wouldn't attend because of a scheduling conflict with a major antitrust and competition conference. The hearing was slated to take place this week, starting Wednesday and ending today.