[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Eight Years Later, Is Microsoft Still a Monopoly? here

[msftmustdie]

Microsoft is still a monopoly. Microsoft is still reliant on criminal business practices to succeed.
While it is true that Firefox and Google desktop are bundled on many new machines, Mozilla.org and Google, respectively, must pay to have these included while Microsoft bundles MSN Live Search with Windows Vista (and gives preference to its own search) without paying OEMs. Further, new initiatives from Microsoft such as paying customers to use MSN Live search show that it is still earning monopoly rent from Windows and Office products that it can use to grow into unrelated markets and harm competition.
Documentation for Windows APIs is still poor and regardless of Microsoft's claims, it is practically impossible to know for certain whether any hidden APIs exist in Windows to disadvantage competitor products and give its own products a performance advantage.
At a minimum, 10 more years of oversight are necessary to ensure Microsoft does not continue to violate antitrust law.

[RastaMon]

Can you completely uninstall Internet Explorer from Windows yet, without leaving any trace of the software? If not, then Microsoft are still abusing their dominant position in the OS market to obtain and maintain dominance in the browser market.

[thebigsix]

Hmmm, can you do the same thing with the MAC? Can you modify iTunes? So why is Apple not considered a monoply when they have over 80% market share with the iPod?

[RastaMon]

Yes, I can completely uninstall Safari from my Mac. I can completely uninstall iTunes from my Mac. I don't have to use an iPod with iTunes. I don't have to use iTunes with my iPods. I don't have to use iTunes Music Store with my iPods. There is a plethora of Applescripts available to modify iTunes. Even Apple is making efforts to eliminate DRM, which is the only thing that keeps other music players from playing some of the songs downloaded from iTunes Music Store. iTunes Plus tracks are playable by other players with AAC playback capability, which is certainly not exclusive to iPod. Creative, SanDisk, Microsoft, Sony, Motorola, Nokia, RIM, and Samsung are among other manufacturers that support AAC, primarily because it is a superior format compared to MP3 and other options in terms of sound quality at a given, typical bit rate.

Apple has 70% of the "MP3 player" market because the iPod is incredibly well designed and easy to use, as is iTunes, and to a lesser extent, iTunes Music Store. Nobody forces Apple's customers to use these products. Apple doesn't use their dominance in one market to achieve dominance in a different market.

[exi2499]

Is MS a monopoly? No.
Will they be viable in 5 years? Yes, maybe even the leader still. Will Windows be around? No, not if they're smart, not with that name.
In the retail/consumer markets, MS has to do a better job at building positive views about their brand and its operating system: their reliability, stability, security and - how much fun it is. A better job at marketing/promotion will keep MS's market share from sliding too far and keep them leading the markets.
But hey, they're products are nice (no I'm not a fanboy). It's kinda like marriage - you stick with something so long, you start looking at what others have and saying, "oooh, that's nice." Till you try it out and it has gout, gangrene and gingivitis.
Anyway, MS is here, will always be here, and will always have competition limiting their ability to become a monopoly.

[JS100]

Microsoft gets a lot of unjustified criticism and the complaints about it being a monopoly these days are a joke. Any user who knows how to install software can change his PC operating system at any time. As has been stated, you could ALWAYS find PCs with no OS installed if you so desired. Just because it wasn't mainstream (why would it be?) doesn't mean it was impossible. Linux, 8 years ago, was not user friendly and the Mac OS only ran on its proprietary hardware... that's why MS had their "monopoly".
But it's easier to just gripe about Microsoft's success... meanwhile... can I run IE instead of Safari on on iPhone, can I use anything other than iTunes to manage music for an iPod? No? So why not ask this monopoly question of Apple instead of Microsoft?

[Yert]

Are you kidding me? Microsoft isn't a monopoly at all... people choose to buy it. FACT: Mac OS X, Linux, and even *BSDs are now easy enough to use, and roughly compatable with each other, and powerful enough that Windows isn't forced, and you can always buy or build a machine from the ground up to use any of these (except the Mac).
FACT: People still choose to buy Windows boxes, which is why the market share is so high.
Inference: People want to use Windows, despite all the whiners... Why else would people be buying it when there is a stable competition? Why would they be pirating it.

And don't tell me you need a Windows app... ever heard of Wine. The truth is that people WANT Windows or they buy elsewhere. Thats simple economics...

[TechyGuy]

By no means is Microsoft even close to being a "Monopoly". There is Mac OS; Linux; Unix; heck, even FreeDOS still around! Yes, Micro$oft technically is a Monopoly in the non-Open-Source community. There are PS3s, Wiis, GameBoys, against M$'s xBo$ 360. So, no, Microsoft is simply NOT a Monopoly, no matter how you look at it from any point of view! Microsoft is anything BUT a Monopoly.

[rixware]

Microsoft must be considered a monopoly as long as it can shove junk software like Vista and Internet Explorer down users' throats.
The monopoly will have been broken only when Average Joe User can buy a cheap PC off the shelf with no Microsoft components.
(Macs are not cheap, and my church secretary doesn't have a prayer with Linux.)

[RastaMon]

For the most part, users have a choice between different computer models, all with a version of Windows installed. Go to Best Buy, you'll find primarily WinPCs. Go to Circuit City, you'll find primarily WinPCs. MS uses proprietary formats instead of standards based formats to limit compatibility with other platforms. On the other hand, OS X, BSD, Linux, Solaris, etc. can all be deployed together without much trouble. But the MS method of operation is to limit compatibility, and to keep things closed source, to that the cost of migrating to another platform is as high as possible. They use their dominant OS market position to force people to use IE. They use the resulting browser market dominance to ensure that web developers code for IE compatibility instead of writing standards based code. That makes them a coercive monopoly.

Many people don't even realize they have a choice. All they see in the store is Windows, so they think that must be all there is. They here all the FUD info about Apple's being more expensive, and don't know enough about computers to realize that comparing like to like, Apples are no more expensive, and often cheaper than the Dells, HPs, Gateways, etc that they end up buying. These are the same people who actually believe places like Best Buy are the best choice for PC service. Mention Firefox to them, and watch their eyes glaze over, wondering what you are talking about. "Do you mean to say there's another way to access the internet besides clicking on the blue "e"? Well, I learned to click on the e. If I try to learn something else, I'll just get confused or break something." There's a LOT of people who consider getting a file attached to an outgoing email a big accomplishment. Those people are more typical than the readers of PC World.

As far as Wine is concerned, it has a limited set of applications with which it works. It is certainly not a viable alternative to Windows, at least at this point.

[Toulinwoek]

Apparently, a few of you aren't sure what a monopoly is. Simply put, it is a situation in which a single company owns all or nearly all of the market for a given type of product or service. In that sense Microsoft has a monopoly in the OS market and probably in the productivity application market also. A monopoly is not in itself illegal however.
The question is not whether MS is "still" a monopoly, but whether, (and this is what got them in trouble) they are still illegally using their monopoly position to hurt their competition (such as there is).
Note that Judge Jackson's declaration that MS is a monopoly was a SEPARATE matter from ruling on the charge that they illegally used that monopoly position to strangle their competition.
As long as 95% of computers run Windows, MS has a monopoly in the OS market. I think they will need oversight as long as they keep showing a tendency to illegally abuse that power. As long as they play fair, their monopoly is just something to be envied!

[msftmustdie]

Microsoft's interference with Mandriva's deal in Nigeria is exactly why it is necessary to extend oversight of Microsoft's business practices.
The ease with which Microsoft first won the deal - prior to Nigeria's backing away from the deal after announcing it - demonstrates the monopolistic, persuasive power Microsoft still wields in the technology industry.
At least 10 more years of antitrust oversight are necessary to ensure Microsoft, the court-convicted monopolist felon, does not revert to its tried-and-true monopolist tactics of the 90s.

[rkinne01]

I've said before and I'll say it again..if you don't like IE then use Firefox. Just becuase IE is there doesn't mean you have to use it. Don't like Media Player? Great, use Winamp. The bottom line is that MS doesn't require you to use most of the compnents in the OS, sure they're but you do have other options. Its the same with every OS.

[RastaMon]

{quote}Just becuase IE is there doesn't mean you have to use it. {quote}

So tell us, how do you uninstall IE? If we don't want to use it, we shouldn't be forced to keep it on our hard drives, right? Can WMP be uninstalled easily, or do we have to waste hard drive space storing it, also?

It's one thing to bundle software. It's quite another to force users to keep it.

[educateme]

However in the longer term the greater threat to Windows dominance is the Internet itself, lets see, each week a new Spyware or Virus attacks hundreds of thousands of Windows PCs, and users are forced to rebuild, replace, or worse..lose their identity or financial information, it sounds like the Internet itself will be what ruins Microsoft. No one company could do as much damage to Windows hegemony than Microsoft is doing to themselves by sticking to a worn out, poorly built operating system..trying to milk the unsuspecting and illiterate public into paying more for the next version of "promise-ware" that was supposed to fix the last batch of crapola they released and sold to us. Its great Google and Apple and others are taking the "high road" and designing better products for those who have finally had enough of Gates, Ballmer and company blowing hot air, and showing little else of improved designs. What did Vista give you for Security features? Now security is YOUR JOB: Yes,No,Cancel

[rgeiken]

Unfortunately Microsoft is the Sleaziest Monopoly that operates in the USA today. WGA is their virus of choice, and it can completely disable a Validated Computer that has a RAID 1 array in it. I found out the hard way. They are watching you all the time, even when you are trying to make repairs to your computer. They need to be Watched 24/7 forever. There is no other Software company that will treat it's customers with such Disdain. They should be forced to post warnings about WGA on their web site just like cigarette companies have to post warnings about their product.

[rkinne01]

Wow but aren't we just a little paranoid? Whats next Vince McMahon forcing you to watch WWE? Comcast beating you to subscribe to cable?

[KEITH777]

Yes, of course the are, they still hold a 95% monopoly on the PC market.

I don't mind MS holding a 95% share of the market "PROVIDED" they got it honestly, which they didn't.

The point is, the terrorists destroyed the New York trade center, now you can go bomb Afganastan, Iraq, Iran etc. you can pay millions of dollars in compensation to the victims etc. But the bottom line is, until those twin towers are fully rebuilt "IT AIN'T FIXED".

So I'd like to send a message to Judge Keller.Until MS is pushed back down to 30-40% market share "IT AIN'T FIXED".

KEITH777

[MichaelRusso]

Anyone who says Microsoft is not a monopoly is completely clueless.
Microsoft is embedded in every level of state government. Hardware vendors and retail outlets cater to Microsoft exclusively. They have a large war chest of money and a army of lobbyist to insure that they keep raking in the cash.

My state has no bid contracts with Microsoft. How about yours?