“So here we go again. An AP story out of Amsterdam this week reports that the European Union Commission has fined Microsoft the princely sum of $733 million. Why? Well, as many of you recall, Microsoft was supposed to offer Windows users in Europe a choice of browsers when they first setup the OS, or their new PCs,” Gene Steinberg writes for The Tech Night Owl.
“That agreement came out of a 2009 settlement, in which Microsoft paid a fine of 860 million euros (over $1.12 billion based on current exchange rates) to give customers a way to choose a browser other than Internet Explorer,” Steinberg writes. “You’d think that would have been the end of it, as this agreement seems one that’s fairly easy to fulfill, right? But not so.”
“According to the report on the latest findings, Microsoft failed to offer the browser choice on some 15 million installations of Windows 7 in Europe from May 2011 until July 2012,” Steinberg writes. “Microsoft admitted the transgression, saying it was a mistake, and evidently cooperated in the investigation.”
Steinberg writes, “The mind boggles.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yes, and likely even stupider.
From Vista to Zune to laughing at, and holding funerals for, the iPhone to the Big Ass Table, then Kin, Windows RT, Windows 8ista, Surface… the stupidity emanating out of Redmond seems limitless (unless their intent is to invent new synonyms for “crap,” in which case they’re certifiable geniuses.)
A fish is stupid from the head down.
Related articles:
EU fines Microsoft $733 million for breaking browser choice pact – March 6, 2013
Microsoft faces EU antitrust probe over browser choice SNAFU; Microsoft blames ‘technical error’ – July 17, 2012
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer loses market share in Europe after Windows ballot screen debut – March 22, 2010
Mozilla Firefox whines as Apple Safari gets top spot on Microsoft Windows’ EU browser ballot screen – October 16, 2009
EU regulators plans new strike against Microsoft; force choice of browsers upon Windows PC setup – June 01, 2009
Opera files Web browser antitrust complaint against Microsoft with EU – December 13, 2007
