Xbox Price Cut in Japan?

Exactly what competition did MS buy out? There main source of profit is from OS software. The only other company that makes OS software is Macintosh and yes MS did buy them out(I think?) but they were always ridiculously far beyind MS anyways. Besides, now people we\'ll be introduced to the technologically superior macs anyways with MS\'s money.

I wonder why Microsoft doesn\'t have any competition? Do I also need to bring up the Netscape/Internet Explorer thing to show with what dirty tactics Microsoft is securing their monopoly?

The netscrap/IE thing is simple.  NS had market share.  NS started to charge for browser.  People switched to IE.

IE wins.  Yes, that\'s underhanded all right.  What dirty tactics?  Why shouldn\'t MS bundle IE with their OSs?  People don\'t piss and moan when cars come stock with stereos.  How is this different?  Toy companies don\'t cry foul when cereal companies put toys in their boxes.

It\'s packaging, but it\'s evil when MS does it.  Go figure.

I think the point is, that Microsoft never really intended to incorperate a web browser into their OS. It was doing fine as a included program until the courts told Microsoft that they can\'t do that as it kills competition. To get around the problem, MS designed Win98 to make IE a central part of the OS... hence the address bar in yer open directory windows. It wasn\'t needed.. hell it wasn\'t even a good idea as far as I\'m concerned.. but it got MS what they wanted.

That\'s what they\'re complaining about.

People don\'t piss and moan when cars come stock with stereos. How is this different? Toy companies don\'t cry foul when cereal companies put toys in their boxes. - Watch

General Motors dosen\'t make their own stereos. They outsource. Kellogs don\'t make their own toys.. they outsource. That\'s the difference. If MS had wanted to include a browser with Windows they could have very easily paid Netscape or Opera or whoever had the lowest bid to include those browsers in with their OS along with IE. Then jack the price of their OS up jus a bit to compensate.

I guantee that if Ford Motors did start building their own high end stereo packages and included them free in their cars.. and better yet integrated it with the in-dash computer so you HAD to have that stereo for your car to operate, you\'d hear alot of people complaining.

One of the charges against MS was they intentionally made IE conflict with NS when installed, to the point where it was unusable. Maybe just coincidence but that\'s exactly what happened when we tried to use NS a few years ago. The charge didn\'t stick very well in court, unless of course we count the court of public opinion.

Does anyone want their daughter or sis to date OJ? The same type of sentiment exists against MS, for the above weasel like tactics as well as a host of other complaints, real or imagined. Anyone who wants to insist MS is no different than Sony may as well go around trying to convince people OJ Simpson is a great guy. It will fall on deaf ears 99 times out of 100

BTW, that\'s just fine by me

Yeah, NS made a lot of claims, but when the courts asked for their proof, they had nothing.  I still have netscrap on my system (I ahve to as a web designer), I hate it, it\'s terrible, that\'s why no one uses it.

And who cares if they outsource?  They are still "forcing" people to play with that toy and not go out and buy another.  They are still "forcing" people to use the stock car stereos and not buy another.

And that IE integration is what NS was pissed about.  MS didn\'t do it to avoid the courts, that\'s part of the reason why they went to court.  And I think it\'s a great idea.  One navigatinal system for the computer and if you want to go online, most of the program is already loaded.  It makes perfect sense to me.

[Titan]

MS entered the computer market, the gaming market, and...am I missing one here? Sony has entered more. CD players, Stereos, TVs, videogames, radios, and a lot more that I can\'t think of at the moment.

Those fall into the category of home entertainment. Computers can be used in home entertainment for some reasons I won\'t go into right now . Video games, CD players, stereos, TVs, radios fall into home entertainment. Just to clear that up with you Sony primarily makes home entertainment stuff and now have been making computers.

I didn\'t mean to say that M$ makes computers. It might have been an unfinished thought.

I think that IE\'s market share wouldn\'t have grown so much if it wasn\'t bundled with the OS.

Let\'s not forget when MS changed their sites to lock out non IE users and tell the others to "upgrade" to to IE.  And what\'s up with having to sign up for Passport when installing XP?  

Plus they keep dozens of undocumented Windows APIs to themelves, as well as ActiveX controls.

And what was that about no Java in XP?  

I like MS\'s software, I really do.  It\'s solid and very likable.  Sometimes their business practices go a little too far.  They don\'t go buying other companies.    They won\'t last though, it\'ll all come down on them someday.

Sony is a large company too.  I mean they make tons of electronics (TVs, computers, PDAs, radios, home theater systems, portable music devices, camcorders, cameras, etc.)  but they also have movie and music divisions.

And who cares if they outsource? They are still "forcing" people to play with that toy and not go out and buy another. They are still "forcing" people to use the stock car stereos and not buy another. - Watch

Outsourcing is much more preferable to creating your own addition and "forcing" people to use it. Yes, people are still "forced" to use that product.. but only for the product bought while that contract is in place. Once the contract expires, other products from other companies are introduced and they place their bids to the company who\'s wanting to integrate the product. You\'re still encourageing these smaller companies to compete against each other to make you (and ultimately them) richer... you\'re not just cutting them out of the loop entirely.

And that IE integration is what NS was pissed about. MS didn\'t do it to avoid the courts, that\'s part of the reason why they went to court. And I think it\'s a great idea. One navigatinal system for the computer and if you want to go online, most of the program is already loaded. It makes perfect sense to me. - Watch

I don\'t care for it, and I never use it. If I wanna surf the net, I go to IE or NS.. I don\'t do it from the toolbar on my open directory window. Besides, anything you need to use it for (aside from webpages) is much better handled by Microsoft Windows Explorer.. which is a very nice addition IMO.

Also.. you\'re right.. MS did go to court after they integrated IE into their OS. They went to court for a SECOND time. The first court hearings were mainly preliminary and served to set up a precidence with which to proceed with further hearings. After MS released Win98 and integrated their browser and OS, they went to court a second time.. for Anti-Trust violations. That\'s the one most people refer to when talking about Netscape and IE. MS knew what was comming, and took steps to skirt around the charges by claiming it was a necessary part of their OS.

[Titan]

I can\'t stand IE. It randomly shuts down on me, especially here at Central. I\'m getting Netscape soon enough or something else.