Windows XP Reduced Media Edition

[rudi]

Oke, Microsoft has lost the antitrust case here in Europe and have to remove Windows Media Player from Windows. The new version (which will cost the same as the normal version! http://www.ubuntuforums.org/images/smilies/confused.gif) will be out on the market and will be called:
"Windows XP Reduced Media Edition"

<from news.com>
"The Commission was concerned that the name would undermine its order by turning consumers off to the new version of Windows and prompting them to stay with the current version, according to reports. So Microsoft is ditching the name and is now busy coming up with a new one, Microsoft spokeswoman Stacy Drake said Friday."
</from news.com>

http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-5555523.html

So many names available for the stripped down version, so many dollars on the bank acount, such a large segment on the market and still they're trying to manipulate their position by a "misleading" title.......

--sigh-- http://www.ubuntuforums.org/images/smilies/eusa_snooty.gif

[HiddenWolf]

<from news.com>
"The Commission was concerned that the name would undermine its order by turning consumers off to the new version of Windows and prompting them to stay with the current version, according to reports. So Microsoft is ditching the name and is now busy coming up with a new one, Microsoft spokeswoman Stacy Drake said Friday."
</from news.com>

http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-5555523.html


I agree with the comission. In my opinion MS should not be allowed to marketeer its way out of a sanction, which is obviously what they are trying to do.

I'm more concerned with the licence on the code that MS was forced to release tho. I hope the commision insists that OS software be allowed to use that code. I don't see it happening, but I'll keep on hoping.

[KiwiNZ]

This whole case is silly. I fail to see where the consumer has benefited from the rulings.

[rudi]

That is why i've posted this :D. MS has lost the antitrust case so they are forced by european law to release a striped down version of Windows XP (no windows media player, moviemaker etc). They won't make it cheaper, so you have to pay the same for less, which in my opinion is a lousy thing to do. No good word for it. Second, they want to release the product with a title called "Reduced media edition", which will cost the same. If you where a computer newbie (e.g a mother http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=13414) and you're going to buy a pc (or OS when you want to upgrade), which one are you going to buy for the same money, the "reduced one" or the "fat" one.......

So on paper the rules by the european commity seemed to work, but MS has worked their way around so they don't have any (or litle) trouble about it. You could say it's a naughty thing .. but also a clever marketing think...
Either way, no benefit for the customers.

[nocturn]

This whole case is silly. I fail to see where the consumer has benefited from the rulings.

For the time being, the consumer does not benefit from this.
However this is a landmark ruling forbidding the bundling of such products and could lead to other similar rulings. Maybe there will be a ruling in the near future that gives us access to Laptops without Windows on them (I can already by a white-brand PC in that way, but no laptop).

If this way of thinking persist we could also see the market reopen to players of the competition, and maybe even see some resellers bundle FireFox instead of IE.

-- added Tue Feb 1 08:43:57 UTC 2005
The WMP-less windows is only part of the ruling. There is a huge fine for violating EU laws attached, and more important the obligation to open protocols and specification to the competition.

[MaZiNgA]

For the time being, the consumer does not benefit from this.
However this is a landmark ruling forbidding the bundling of such products and could lead to other similar rulings. Maybe there will be a ruling in the near future that gives us access to Laptops without Windows on them (I can already by a white-brand PC in that way, but no laptop).

If this way of thinking persist we could also see the market reopen to players of the competition, and maybe even see some resellers bundle FireFox instead of IE.

-- added Tue Feb 1 08:43:57 UTC 2005
The WMP-less windows is only part of the ruling. There is a huge fine for violating EU laws attached, and more important the obligation to open protocols and specification to the competition.
This landmark ruling is forbidding the bundling of "such products"....Ummmm...Why?? A ruling for a laptop without Windows->I understand...But this one?

[jdodson]

the users lose when they purchase and install windows in the first place. you give microsoft market share that allows them to funnel vendors into support of proprietary formats such as .wmv, .wma, .doc, .xls, .mp3, .exe, etc. in the end it hurts everyone, including us ubuntuites.

[MaZiNgA]

the users lose when they purchase and install windows in the first place. you give microsoft market share that allows them to funnel vendors into support of proprietary formats such as .wmv, .wma, .doc, .xls, .mp3, .exe, etc. in the end it hurts everyone, including us ubuntuites.
Isn't that also done in let's say Xandros? Or is it beacause its market share is low? How do you know when market share is "high"?

[jdodson]

Isn't that also done in let's say Xandros? Or is it beacause its market share is low? How do you know when market share is "high"?

yes, xandros perpetuates the proprietary lock-in. a reason i wont touch it. i could go off on xandros, but i wont. then again, i watch dvds, go figure.

market share is high, when everyones grandma, parent, school, church, gas station, business, quik-e-mart and dog uses windows. think about this for a second, what is a PC? is a PC a intel based computer, a personal computer or a computer running windows? what would someone think if you said, i own a PC but you run gnu/linux. does PC equate to a non-windows os anymore? i would say it does not. people equate windows to the term PC because to "normal people" there is no other known option. i only can speak from the united states, but here in the states(oosah if you prefer) windows OWNS desktop computing. seconded by mac and thirded by gnu/linux or bsd. though as of late i have heard rumblings that might suggest gnu/linux might supercede MacOS in terms of "market share."

[BWF89]

yes, xandros perpetuates the proprietary lock-in. a reason i wont touch it. i could go off on xandros, but i wont. then again, i watch dvds, go figure.
How is Xandros proprietary? Last time I was on their website (a few days ago) you could download their source code freely. Or do you consiter any Commercial distrobution a proprietary one?

[rudi]

This landmark ruling is forbidding the bundling of "such products"....Ummmm...Why?? A ruling for a laptop without Windows->I understand...But this one?
Because you can then have the freedom to install an audio player of your choice. A video player of your choice. A movie maker of your choice. The way it is now MS shoves it's apps through your throat if you want it or not. Life is all about choice. Choices you want to make, not choices made for you by a company.

[jdodson]

How is Xandros proprietary? Last time I was on their website (a few days ago) you could download their source code freely. Or do you consiter any Commercial distrobution a proprietary one?

i found no source code on the xandros webpage. i found a bittorrent link to the open circulation edition.

xandros bundles proprietary software that they code up in thier os. for instance they have a filemanager they created that is non-free. it seems strange to me to construct a gnu/linux os and then close down the things you create for it.

[BWF89]

i found no source code on the xandros webpage. i found a bittorrent link to the open circulation edition.

xandros bundles proprietary software that they code up in thier os. for instance they have a filemanager they created that is non-free. it seems strange to me to construct a gnu/linux os and then close down the things you create for it.
Heres the source code. (http://www.xandros.com/support/source_code.html)

Does Novell bundle non-free software in with SuSE or would I be safe from the evils of proprietary software by choosing it?

[jdodson]

Heres the source code. (http://www.xandros.com/support/source_code.html)

Does Novell bundle non-free software in with SuSE or would I be safe from the evils of proprietary software by choosing it?

novell bundles non-free code with suse in that they add things like realplayer, etc to the mix. i really don't want to get into a discussion about free/non free software. suffice it to say xandros does not release the source to the apps it owns and proprieterizes. xandros releases the source to programs because it must(like gnome, kde, etc), it is a gpl requirement for gpl programs. thanks for the link.

in the end run whatever OS you want, I am not trying to convert anyone, its just my two-cents.

[carlc]

Please give some credit to consumers / pc users to run programs that they wish to run despite what is pre-installed on their pc or packaged with their operating system. Despite having purchased (do people really buy windows? - anyone care to start a new thread on this?) a version of windows that includes media player, they are not forced to use it and can install and run other programs such as winamp. Microsoft's efforts to promote their own products are annoying. However, I would rather see people reconsider their choice of programs and operating systems instead of the government restricting business practices.

[piedamaro]

Please give some credit to consumers / pc users to run programs that they wish to run despite what is pre-installed on their pc or packaged with their operating system. Despite having purchased (do people really buy windows? - anyone care to start a new thread on this?) a version of windows that includes media player, they are not forced to use it and can install and run other programs such as winamp. Microsoft's efforts to promote their own products are annoying. However, I would rather see people reconsider their choice of programs and operating systems instead of the government restricting business practices.
I'd say they can install something like vlc so even us, free software monkeys can benefit from its spread.

[Randabis]

They should be forced to lower the price on the "reduced media edition". It contains less than a standard copy, so it should cost less.