3 ms·
Don't trust me for these details, but IIRC it wasn't just the free pricing. I recall OEMs only getting the best most competitive pricing if they didn't bundle
by gregw2 10y ago
Don't trust me for these details, but IIRC it wasn't just the free pricing. I recall OEMs only getting the best most competitive pricing if they didn't bundle a competing browser. Microsoft ensured the DLLs used by their browser were preloaded at boot time regardless of whether the user wanted the browser or not. Microsoft did not let a user uninstall the browser (so even if a competing browser did preload at boot time it cause the overall boot time to take longer, a penalty never avoidable with MS's browser since it was always installed to preload at boot b/c it was not uninstallable). Microsoft making their help system dependent on their browser. Microsoft forged videos in front of the court (!) trying to obscure these and other differences that went to the heart of whether the browser was part of the OS or an additional piece of software. Microsoft initially charged for IE in certain cases IIRC but later gave it away for free with email documents from execs discussing doing so "to cut off Netscape's air supply", clear evidence of attempting to maintain their monopoly or extend it into adjacent markets. Which is illegal and why they were convicted.
- WalterBright 10y agoSorry, the whole thing was a crock. Why shouldn't Microsoft make it part of their OS? And events have proved me right - everybody bundles in a free browser as part of their OS, and people still use alternatives on Windows. Still, all free. That whole "air supply" thing was laughable. People competing with others always talk about "killing", "nuking", "blowing away", "crushing", etc., their competitors. This goes on in football games, ice skating, and business. Nobody means it literally. It isn't evidence of a crime. Netscape would have fared better if their browser didn't crash a dozen times an hour. That was their fault, not Microsoft's. Oh, and I could buy a Linux computer with one click from Amazon at the time. Anybody could buy parts, assemble them, and go into business selling Linux computers, complete with a full suite of free bundled software. There was nothing MS did or could have done to stop it.
- Nomentatus 10y agoBundling law goes away back, it's not new to this century, although recent decisions have been far more liberal than historical ones.