Microsoft "forbids" Dell, other PC firms, to sell non-Windows PCs

(But see our more updated story Microsoft non-OS dictat down to greed, not megalomania.)

And the note suggests that this affects not only Dell, but also its competitors, by which we presume it means Fujitsu-Siemens, HP, IBM, Toshiba, Sony and everyone else, seeing as the note applies to Latitude laptop systems.

But we find it hard to credit that Microsoft would try this old trick again. Several years back, Microsoft became the target of questions in our parliament over restrictive licensing agreements such as this.

If Microsoft is imposing this geas on its PC competitors, it will surely raise further questions about its grip on the marketplace, seeing as the final resolution to its current antitrust woes is not totally resolved.

Evidence given earlier this year, however, revealed that Microsoft had used its muscle to prevent Dell from shipping Linux based systems, and if the Vole is using pricing tactics to "persuade" the PC companies this is necessary, then more questions are likely to be asked in yet more parliaments worldwide.

You can find the Slashdot post here. µ