Microsoft fined $32m in Korea

[Steve]

Nearly two months ago, Microsoft threatened that if the South Korea Fair Trade Comission forced Microsoft to modify Windows (to remove alledgedly unfair inclusions of instant messaging and media player components) that they may withdraw Windows from the Korean market or delay future releases there. Time has passed and regulators have fined MS $32m, requiring that they modify Windows releases in Korea within 180 days.

The commission ordered Microsoft to offer two versions of Windows in South Korea within 180 days.

One version must be stripped of the Windows Media Player and instant messenger software. The other version must come with links to Web pages that allow consumers to download competing versions of such software, the commission said.

[CNN]

Microsoft will challenge the decision, but in the meantime will they bother preparing to ship a new version of Windows?

[BlackDwarf]

I personally agree with this.

Until a story like this comes along, you don't really realise how much bloatware MS stuffs into their OS's, without giving you a choice.

I use Firefox, and would completely delete I.E if it wasnt for Windows Update's needing it (i know there are ways around it, but still). I use MSN, but not the crappy 'Windows Messenger' that comes bundled. I use Winamp, not Media Player 9 or 10. I use Fireworks or Photoshop, not Paint (ok, bad comparison but you get the idea).

I think users should be given the choice while installing:
Do you want to install Internet Explorer? Click no and it gives you a link to Firefox
Do you want to install Microsoft Office? Click no and it gives you a link to Open Office

etc. etc.

[dangel]

I personally agree with this.

Until a story like this comes along, you don't really realise how much bloatware MS stuffs into their OS's, without giving you a choice.

I use Firefox, and would completely delete I.E if it wasnt for Windows Update's needing it (i know there are ways around it, but still). I use MSN, but not the crappy 'Windows Messenger' that comes bundled. I use Winamp, not Media Player 9 or 10. I use Fireworks or Photoshop, not Paint (ok, bad comparison but you get the idea).

I think users should be given the choice while installing:
Do you want to install Internet Explorer? Click no and it gives you a link to Firefox
Do you want to install Microsoft Office? Click no and it gives you a link to Open Office

etc. etc.

Mmmmmm I'm not so sure. For one, it's a real pain to get anything without some sort of browser sorted (command line ftp-ing aside) from the get-go. I'm not an IE user (i'm typing this on Opera 9) but i'd still want it installed. As you say, it has it's uses (Win update and Online Banking being two of them for me). MSN Messenger isn't bundled simply because they'd probably get sued for doing so.
MS have a major problem - as an monopoly they're heavily restricted in what they can provide the user without every man and his dog bleating about it. Whilst i agree they've done lots of naughty stuff and should be punished, i'm not sure anyone is seriously going to buy a 'reduced' copy of WindowsXP over one that comes with the extras that the majority want anyway. Fact is, if you're an Apple user, you get *just as much* bundled-in stuff with your OS (if not more so - Apple is much more of a tie-in company than MS will ever be..) but since they're a small-market player that's ok (is it?). It's a curious situation - you want to stop MS being a monopoly but forcing them to remove applications that many consider a bare minimum for an OS install (browser, media player, IM client) in 2005 inevitably punishes the end-user more so than MS IMHO. Then again, there's little to stop OEMs from installing all sorts of cr@p on your PC (e.g. Dell who do this) including other browsers, email clients, open office or whatever. In fact, that can be even more annoying since then you've got to spend half an hour tracking it all down and uninstalling it Perhaps it's better to go after MS for tie-in deals with someone like Dell, and forcing other options to be provided in-box or pre-installed with your new PC?
It's a difficult topic, but i can't see at the moment we have a good solution that works both for promoting competition whilst not reducing the basic toolset of a freshly installed OS for end-users or making it difficult for MS to innovate based on said toolset.

"Microsoft will challenge the decision, but in the meantime will they bother preparing to ship a new version of Windows?"

No, they won't. MS will tough it out (as they have done in the past) and see where it goes. Koreans are tech-mad anyway and will get Windows one way or another in any case.

[Hiroaki]

Personally, I have no problems with IE being install on the OS - for the majority of users, all they need is 'a tool' to access the internet, and most are not too bothered as too what it is.

I use Firefox myself, but when I'm doing web design I'll use both. If Microsoft want to deliver and out of the box operating system with the ability to surf the internet, they logically will have to include an operating system. In terms of whether it should be removable or not, I'd say that depends on whether you view as an integral part of the OS or not.

MSN however should be removable - whilst agan it does forfill a function for the operating system, I do not believe that it should be a necessary component if you have an alternative (Trillian for instance). The only argument for it that I could forsee would tie into the usage of .net authenication

[directhex]

MSN however should be removable - whilst agan it does forfill a function for the operating system, I do not believe that it should be a necessary component if you have an alternative (Trillian for instance). The only argument for it that I could forsee would tie into the usage of .net authenication

which could trivially be library (dll) based, not application based.

[dangel]

MSN Messenger isn't provided with XP, Windows Messenger is. Drives me nuts actually as you can have both loaded simultaneously, both trying to login to the same account!

[McEwin]

I bought a brand new "pestigue" laptop from Sony recently and was disgusted to see that my expensive new toy came with more pre-installed "junk" than was actually useful to anyone. The worse offending applications were the "6 months free trial"s and Yahoo! messenger which appears in every corner of the know usinverse and doesn't uninstall itself correctly. Painful, especially considering I work for Yahoo!! Why do I have to put up with this sh!te when I've just forked out the GDP of a small country? You make a good point though Dangel, its just a shame I wasn't given the choice in the first place.

bloody good laptop mind.

[zachig]

Ouch, $32m!!! That hurts!!! Anyway, I don't think that Bill Gates will feel it in his pocket

[TheAnimus]

Only app i think MS shouldn't bundle with windows is messenger.

should they not include sound recorder? or volume control?
don't be stupid, its all about my mum been able to use it, with ease.

Now, removing it won't help, what would be MUCH better would the goverment using that money to promote people using technology better, saying photoshop is better than MS paint because it lets me do .... By using winamp i can have better visualisations. Actually help people use technology better, rather than restrick someone producing a functioning platform.

90% of home users don't give a damn about which instant messenger they use. They don't really understand whats going on.

for MS this is more like a "stealth tax". I wounder what they'll be doing with the money?