Opera says Microsoft EU browser offer "not enough"
(Reuters)

I hope the EU changes their mind in regard to the proposed solution.

From the article:

"We never suggested that they have to sell Windows without Internet Explorer. We suggested that they might have to give the possibility to customers to chose between different browsers," the official said. (The official being from the EU).

It may be true that the commission has never said the OS has to be sold without Ie. But, that is a mistake.

It is the forced sale of the technology that presents the real problem. Removing or hiding an icon is not going to help consumers. And, Microsoft's fraudulent suggestion that IE would not be included is also not going to help consumers.

Simply put if the underlying technology is bundled in the consumers gets screwed. They are paying for it. And that keeps their costs high. And, it eliminates any real market conditions for similar technology from anyone else.

A complete elimination of commingled code is required under US antitrust law. And IE can not be bundled by either Microsoft or OEMs enticed by Microsoft.

Under Microsoft's proposal they will just get the OEM to force the sale.

There are two significant factors to consider here.

One is giving the individual consumer a choice (and that does not mean giving the power of choice to OEMs either).

But, the second and most important is the exclusion of the technology normally included in a browser. And, yes, that includes HTML rendering.

It is time that the authorities begin to actually enforce the law. And that includes the US DOJ and the EU Commission. Consumers are being screwed by technology being forced upon them by the monopolist. Or, by the monopolist manipulating OEMs such that OEM force the technology upon consumers. Either way consumers are eliminated from the process but forced to pay.

And if Microsoft technology is forced upon consumers, ISVs will continue to use the forced availability of Microsoft technology to limit their perspective of the marketplace.

Simply put, you will never have fair and open markets for any Internet related technologies if Microsoft forces their version upon all consumers. And that is true whether or not the consumer sees an icon or two. Or, whether or not they can run a browser from an icon on their desktop.

Simply put Opera, Firefox and Chrome completely substitute for each other. IE must be added to the list. Not added on but substituted. If that is not the case you remain to have technology forced upon consumers via monopoly power. And that means that fair and open markets do not exist and never will exist.

Microsoft knows that. And that is why Microsoft is playing the smoke and mirrors fraud game. Deleting what does not matter, does not matter. Forcing the sale of Internet technology upon consumers is what matters.

And regardless of the fraud put up by Microsoft, consumers do pay cash money for the Internet technologies from Microsoft. And it appears that Microsoft's recent suggestion does not change a thing in that regard. Why do you think Microsoft proposed it?

Sure Microsoft hopes that consumers will rise up and complain about not having a icon on display. But, Microsoft also knows that its revenue stream for Internet technologies is unaffected and will continue to fund ongoing R&D in that regard. And that is true regardless of what fake choices the consumer might have.

The EU Commission and the US DOJ have to step up here and actually solve the problem.