I think most people here are talking as consumers and not deveolopers (which surprises me). Consumers want everything on a silver plate, delivered by grovelling service, which is fine, i expect it myself. As a consumer, of course i want as much as i can get included with what i buy. I also would just love to go into tescos, load up my trolley and walk out paying 1 for 10 on everything. Or even better, get it all for free.
However what the consumer wants isnt always in the best interest of business, the market, the economy or themselves in the long run (take the environment for example)
-or even the law in this case.
@John J, Firefox is the second most popular browser in 2007 accounted for only about 20% of the market, perhaps even less in the business sector. Opera, the third most popular is 2-5% others are too small to mention. So to saying that bundling IE with windows is not blatant (and successful) profiteering, directly, via a 95% dominated OS market is total nonsense.
Also, big gnu programs like firefox are not freebies written out of love. They are a money making business too but how can they possibly be monopolies? do they use their own platform to block & conquer ajacent markets? -No.
As Taumel stated above there is a line as to what should be included, and industry standard apps are not it. Wordpad is not a leading standard app. Mplayer and IE are.
However what the consumer wants isnt always in the best interest of business, the market, the economy or themselves in the long run (take the environment for example)
-or even the law in this case.
@John J, Firefox is the second most popular browser in 2007 accounted for only about 20% of the market, perhaps even less in the business sector. Opera, the third most popular is 2-5% others are too small to mention. So to saying that bundling IE with windows is not blatant (and successful) profiteering, directly, via a 95% dominated OS market is total nonsense.
Also, big gnu programs like firefox are not freebies written out of love. They are a money making business too but how can they possibly be monopolies? do they use their own platform to block & conquer ajacent markets? -No.
As Taumel stated above there is a line as to what should be included, and industry standard apps are not it. Wordpad is not a leading standard app. Mplayer and IE are.
I don't see what you expect to achieve in this discussion. Whether MS does this, bundles that, legal blah, the courts have already decided it (and at least in the EU may well decide some more again.) Some people have been paid lots of money to argue whether MS had a monopoly and were using it abusively. They did it and you're not really adding anything, the case notes and decisions are widely available. Competition is universally considered a good thing for everyone, and whether you think the action is justified, it's hard to see how Microsoft releasing APIs, less manipulating OEMs with pricing deals, opening bundling, etc. is bad news for anyone but Microsoft. Last I checked Microsoft are a big company with lots of money and a tight grip on the market, no matter how crap their products are or aren't. So unless you're on the payroll, a shareholder or one of their lawyers, it's all pretty academic really.
Exactly, my side of rant over, i promise. :D Whereas EULAs potentially hurt us all, and we're still missing something definitive about how and how much they apply. Much more interesting.
Hmm, they can also protect us too, kind of a double edged sword :/ Once again its a fine line as to what is deemed acceptable for the protection of the developer and in the interest of the market at large.