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Let's not forget lobbying against government adoption of free software: Over the past five years Microsoft has developed one of the most sophisticated lobbying

Let's not forget lobbying against government adoption of free software: Over the past five years Microsoft has developed one of the most sophisticated lobbying networks [..] two of Microsoft's policy priorities, limiting the adoption of open-source software [..] stand out as areas wherein what's good for Microsoft may not be good for all CIOs. - https://web.archive.org/web/20040915234341/https://www.cio.com/archive/091504/microsoft.html/ https://web.archive.org/web/20040915234341/https://www.cio.c... Against open standards: https://www.theregister.com/2014/02/22/microsoft_uk_odf_response/ https://www.theregister.com/2014/02/22/microsoft_uk_odf_resp... Mandating their patented, proprietary exFAT filesystem for SD cards, despite plenty of adequate FOSS filesystems, so they can extort patent fees: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExFAT https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExFAT The Windows tax, making it nigh-impossible to buy a PC without also paying for Windows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundling_of_Microsoft_Windows https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundling_of_Microsoft_Windows Detecting non-MS DOS versions and refusing to run Windows on them, giving an obtuse (and incorrect) error message: https://www.theregister.com/1999/11/05/how_ms_played_the_incompatibility/ https://www.theregister.com/1999/11/05/how_ms_played_the_inc... Using Secure Boot to lock Windows RT devices from being able to install alternative OSs, with no way for the user to unlock it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_RT#Restrictions_and_compatibility_limitations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_RT#Restrictions_and_co... (and disallowing all software except that found on the Windows store) Remember how we were told our fears of Secure Boot doing exactly this were unfounded? Oh but it's not "real" PCs, just Windows RT devices. If we worry that the category of "real" PC will get narrower and narrower, with more and more "special purpose" locked-down devices taking its place, effectively preventing normal people from switching to linux because they'd need to buy a special-purpose device, those worries will also be dismissed as unfounded.

rasz 4y ago
+ lobbying against Right to Repair https://illinoispirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/who-doesn%E2%80%99t-want-right-repair-companies-worth-over-10-trillion https://illinoispirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/who-doesn%E2%80%99t-... >Microsoft offered to pay more in taxes to fund STEM education in the state if Right to Repair never went to a floor vote. https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/microsoft-and-apple-wage-war-on-gadget-right-to-repair-laws-1.1606259 https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/microsoft-and-apple-wage-war-on-... >Microsoft’s top lawyer advocated against a repair bill in its home state. >February, Microsoft held a meeting for state lawmakers to go over the company’s priorities. It was a snow day, so executives convened over a conference call. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, ran the meeting, according to a person on the call. He ticked through a couple items before arriving at the repair bill. Microsoft didn't like it, and Smith argued the measure would threaten his company’s intellectual property. Later, as the legislative session continued, Microsoft treated the bill as an “existential threat,” If Xbox is out of warranty and optical drive controller fries (it really happens) its the end of that console - drive is crypto paired to CPU, no optical drive handshake prevents updating/reinstalling os and cuts off online store.

rasz 4y ago

+ lobbying against Right to Repair https://illinoispirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/who-doesn%E2%80%99t-want-right-repair-companies-worth-over-10-trillion https://illinoispirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/who-doesn%E2%80%99t-... >Microsoft offered to pay more in taxes to fund STEM education in the state if Right to Repair never went to a floor vote. https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/microsoft-and-apple-wage-war-on-gadget-right-to-repair-laws-1.1606259 https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/microsoft-and-apple-wage-war-on-... >Microsoft’s top lawyer advocated against a repair bill in its home state. >February, Microsoft held a meeting for state lawmakers to go over the company’s priorities. It was a snow day, so executives convened over a conference call. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, ran the meeting, according to a person on the call. He ticked through a couple items before arriving at the repair bill. Microsoft didn't like it, and Smith argued the measure would threaten his company’s intellectual property. Later, as the legislative session continued, Microsoft treated the bill as an “existential threat,” If Xbox is out of warranty and optical drive controller fries (it really happens) its the end of that console - drive is crypto paired to CPU, no optical drive handshake prevents updating/reinstalling os and cuts off online store.