Microsoft is in serious trouble and they are focussing on wrong things.
Chew gum and walk at the same time sort of a thing. Microsoft is more than one person so they have the resources to do many different things at the same time. My guess is that it's in Microsoft's interests to have as many rights as possible over code and languages. Also screwing Android and Google wouldn't hurt their business.
Google and MS have been going at each other for a decade plus, with attacks and counter attacks. Google won the latest round by having FTC not press any changes and by having MS pay a huge fine to EU.
Google has struck a €561m blow to Microsoft after the EU’s competition authority heavily fined the maker of Windows for settlement breaches secretly flagged up by the US internet group."
I can't see that because it's paywalled, but here's another source:
"According to sources quoted by the Financial Times, it was Google (along with Opera) that tipped off the EU about the lack of browser choice in Windows, putting the whole investigation in motion."[1]
The situation doesn't seem all that comparable with the FTC investigation, since this fine was for a breach of a settlement Microsoft had made with the EU. I've never thought the browser ballot was a very good solution, but I'm not feeling a whole lot of sympathy here since Microsoft agreed to it, but then didn't include the ballot for 15 months and didn't reinstate it after it received initial reports that it wasn't showing up.
You also ignored that pesky "along with Opera" for the sake of a nice narrative, though to be fair, the reporters also downgraded the importance of it in pursuit of the same thing. Considering that all you needed to "catch them" was to install Windows 7, this was really just waiting for someone that would notice the lack of the ballot that also had the channels to alert someone who would care.
I think this is missing the OP's point anyways, which is that if the perception of developers is that Microsoft's platform is hurting, then they need to publicly focus on positive boosting of that platform. This is the same complaint many have had about the whole scroogled thing.
You're nitpicking and /or not reading carefully: No one said they're identical. The point was that Google and Microsoft are using all tools at their disposal against each other.
>> I think this is missing the OP's point anyways, which is that if the perception of developers is that Microsoft's platform is hurting, then they need to publicly focus on positive boosting of that platform. This is the same complaint many have had about the whole scroogled thing.
I guess you didn't read my comment, because I addressed that. But I suspect that as soon as this lawsuit is over the one and only person working at Microsoft http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=MSFT+Key+Statistics will focus all his energy on boosting their platform.
> The point was that Google and Microsoft are using all tools at their disposal against each other
No, that's exactly what I was addressing. Reporting Microsoft for breaking their own browser ballot is not comparable to, say, a long running plan to hobble Google by antitrust rulings in the US and the EU[1] or an ad campaign modeled after negative political ad campaigns. So portraying this as some sort of no holds barred fight when one side is hardly playing is rather disingenuous.
Microsoft has improved in so many ways over the late 90s, it's kind of appalling to see what their obsession with Google does to them. I really don't understand it, except maybe just the old guard remaining in positions that can still make these things happen.
And please stop suggesting that we think that all the Windows engineers were retasked to file legal briefs in Oracle v Google. That's, again, exactly the point I was addressing. It's difficult to be excited about those engineers' work when their legal and marketing teams seem to think that the only way to "win" is to make the other guy look worse than they themselves are acting.
It's difficult to be excited about those engineers' work when their legal and marketing teams seem to think that the only way to "win" is to make the other guy look worse than they themselves are acting.
Do you only feel that way for Microsoft? Because you could say the same for Google, Apple, Oracle...and virtually any huge company that such department.
My last comment in this thread anyway, I give up with you.
Chew gum and walk at the same time sort of a thing. Microsoft is more than one person so they have the resources to do many different things at the same time. My guess is that it's in Microsoft's interests to have as many rights as possible over code and languages. Also screwing Android and Google wouldn't hurt their business.
Google and MS have been going at each other for a decade plus, with attacks and counter attacks. Google won the latest round by having FTC not press any changes and by having MS pay a huge fine to EU.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e748bfc8-8682-11e2-b907-00144feabd...
March 6, 2013 6:56 pm
"Google tip-off leads to Microsoft EU penalty
Google has struck a €561m blow to Microsoft after the EU’s competition authority heavily fined the maker of Windows for settlement breaches secretly flagged up by the US internet group."