ZzzzzzzzZZZZzzzzzzzZZZzzzzzzzz.....The EU whines too much.

Uhm...if a computer offers Internet Explorer by default, that's not free choice. Most people will go with that because they don't know about the other ones (yes, you could say that's their own fault, but that's besides the point here). If you use your own material to make sure that your own browser gets that advantage, that's abuse of your monopoly. The way it had been done, was suffocating the market to MS' advantage.

I think their interest now lies with which search engine is integrated into the browsers. So in reality they may very well simply pay Mozilla to include Bing in 2011 when their contract with Google runs out. I suspect they don't care which browser people use so long as it uses their search engine.

The fact is that they have an OS. They should not be forcing other things down your throat. It's virtually impossible for anything to develop and continue if it's being smothered by something else. Monopoly abuse should be tackled, in any way or form.

The best argument for EU concerns are facts, IE is first despite not being the best and in the past it was first despite being utter rubbish and world champion of security critical bugs, so there must be something wrong.

Then again, what company on earth has the same enormous monopoly that MS has? Gillette perhaps, its the only one I can think of. I'm pretty sure IE would have less than 50% marketshare if every PC user knew about the altnernatives and their benefits and there would be less crashes an infections on computers all over the world. They already own the OS market, I don't see any reason why they should also own the browser market, doubly so when their browser is highly inferior on all counts (even compatability nowadays, which used to be the only reason I fired it up every now and then). They also control most of the video services most used on PC by default and all this power over so many users is not good for consumers. Just as in the console market, I don't want huge monopolies in the PC market, I just can't see it lead us anywhere good at all.

PS: Besides; Microsoft are far from the only company that's been slapped around with fines and dragged to court over principals of competition. It is very common here in Norway, especially since the salaries are so damn high on average and we too must adhere to the competition rules of the EU despite never being a member.

hmmmmm intresting,im not sure which i dislike more ;Microsoft or EU?

Wow that's retarded! They're in trouble for bundling IE with Windows? Umm..okay I have IE, but guess what? I downloaded Firefox and use that! ooohhhhhhhhhhh

Seriously does IE restrict people in the EU from downloading other browsers or something? Do Europeans not know how to download other browsers? I honestly don't get what the problem is.

That's like getting mad at a toilet company for bundling one brand of toilet paper with their toilets. That doesn't mean you have to stick with that brand of toilet paper now does it?

My biggest gripe about this is that they force Microsoft to advertise other browsers (just plain wrong to force someone to advertise for the competition), and are forced to provide information on how their OS works (forced to give away trade secrets). Both of these set bad precedents, when a small company tries to make its way into the market and then cries like a baby to the European Union. I don't have a problem with the EU saying that bundling IE is wrong, but how they want to handle it is wrong.

Honestly, if I was Microsoft, I would completely remove the web browser and not offer any version from anyone. It would screw the customer over, and then Microsoft could then just give their software away free on a CD in the stores. People would just pick it up anyway as the stores would train their employees to give away the discs (after Microsoft payed them off ).