scott wrote:

> What exactly has MS done that is illegal?  It seems to me their "crimes" 
> (in the eyes of the EU) are not sharing enough source code with 
> competitors, including their browser software with their OS, and 
> including a media player with their OS.  If that's the worst they've 
> done, then sorry but they don't lose my respect for that.

1. Stealing other people's code and passing it off as their own.

2. Deliberately subverting open standards to force vendor lock-in.

3. Forcing PC manufacturers to not to distribute anyone else's OS.

4. Lobbying for a ban on selling PC hardware without an OS.

5. Releasing software for free just to put people out of business.

6. Announcing vapourware just to put people out of business.

7. Threatening highly dubious legal action just to put people out of 
business.

I'm not sure how many of these are actually *illegal*, but they don't 
command respect.

In summary, Microsoft's dominant market position exists because they 
carefully and systematically prevent consumers from having any choice.

...but mostly I hate them because they charge extortionate prices for a 
product which isn't actually very good. :-P

> I assume that also if Google (or any other company) manages to get the 
> majority of the desktop OS market then they will also be deemed to be 
> acting illegally by including a browser, media player, minesweeper or 
> whatever?

No idea.

Last time I checked, Google doesn't have a desktop OS...

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