Microsoft is in talks with the EU Commission

Microsoft should just tell the EU where to go and let the public tell the EU what they think of them. The public will still buy Windows on the internet so the linux geeks wont be any happier

is a joke. Exactly how many people bought Windows without media player?? Now they are creating all this mess about IE. Next comes what? Notepad?

We all learned that the OS is just the Kernel, but over the years, this boundary has smudged beyond argument. A lot of software that comes with all OSs are on top of the kernel layer.

If EU had its way, we will get to buy a bare kernel. But screwing Mac or nix variants is not cool.

This coming from an idealistic teenager is ok, but this coming from the European Commission is scary.

"Piracy - The Better Choice™!"

In EU we believe in a regulated capitalism, where the advantage of the people comes before the interest of a company.

If you want to do business in EU, you will have to respect the buyers.

They do more to protect us than most national governments.

It's about time these foreign companies learnt who's boss. Between the EU, China, Russia and strengthening south American countries, it looks like these oppressive companies are heading towards their comeuppance. They don't like the Eu because they're opposed to freedom.

It's about time the EU gave M$ a kicking about their constant cross atlantic price gouging.

I wondered when the EU sheep were going to show up to defend their bastard of a system. Sorry, but the EU is none of the things you think they are and are certainly no better than the American's own system, in fact is probably worse and if you get your noses out of their collective butts long enough to see it you may just learn something. You gain nothing from harassing companies in this manner except higher prices and the real sin is that they pick and choose the companies they go after while they leave others guilty of the same alone. I don't see the EU going after Apple's iPhone for their restriction of any program that does what their native programs already do. Where's the choice there? If the EU were really doing this for the benefit of anything but money they would go after more than just the largest US companies that do business there. Its blatant bullying and it should not be allowed.

The combined market share of all IE versions in Europe is currently 44%, i.e. most Europeans already use Firefox or Opera. Neelie's job is to make sure Microsoft get's out of corporate environments, where IE's market share is still somewhat higher. Go for it Neelie!

Unfortunately Microsoft switches some of their web products into dumb mode when detecting a non-IE browser. This may have seemed like a bright idea, but not any more: Said products now look pretty broken in people's favourite browsers. Better release those service packs for Outlook Web Access and SharePoint RSN!

They sound like just the recipe for Microsoft.

I like that idea...

Whats the problem with Office? It's not forced on us.

They should leave Microsoft alone. A better solution would be for the user to choose what components(IE, Windows Media Player) to install during the Windows installation process.

Any person with an IQ above 80 can go and download whatever alternative is out there.

Thie is absurd... they have offered the removal of components as an option and now that is not good enough... perhaps the EU wants MS to load their competition's SW now?

And you wonder why prices go up when you have 500 variants designed to assuage the EU.

With an absurd tax rate and lots of social programs to pay for, it is apparent that the EU now sees large companies as their own personal ATM as they swipe the monopoly card every so often and withdraw a few billion. While they think they are helping us all it is doing is costing us more money as the companies raise prices to recoup the fines.

If the EU actually used the money to credit the consumers who are getting gouged or harmed by all this monopoly bahavior they might have a leg to stand on... when they just pocket it and pour it into the overall EU slush fund they have lost the moral high ground...

A lot of the comments seam to be based on the argument that "forcing Microsoft to unbundle IE is crazy" however the EU is not forcing MS to unbundle IE. It is forcing it to provide an equal footing for alternative browsers.

If Microsoft hadn't abused their monopoly of this market they wouldn't be in this position. They are trying to spin this story into the "EU is making us release a ridiculous version of our OS without a browser" however this isn't the case and the more Microsoft plays games the more punitive the response from the EU is going to be.

As for the "Big Bad EU" arguments, this is no different to the long litany of companies in the US that have been prosecuted under the Sherman Antitrust Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Antitrust_Act) and later acts including Microsoft.

Monopolists are in a privileged position and have a duty not to abuse that position.

Microsoft intentionally embedded the browser in the OS to extend it's monopoly from the desktop to web standards and application serving technologies. It then lied to say it was impossible to remove.

IE8 is a very good browser and arguably the most secure browser ever made. However MS needs to "play nice" with it's competitors. Just like IBM was forced to when I worked for them. NCR was forced to in 1912. Microsoft will be now.

Free markets are destroyed by monopolies that aren't regulated.

@Michael
"Any person with an IQ above 80 can go and download whatever alternative is out there."

What what about those with an IQ under 80? Who protects them?

...is to fine Microsucks and Intel $500 BILLION Euros each per year and block the sale of all of their products - until they stop their violations of anti-trust laws. Very severe punishment is the only means to a free marketplace with these unscrupulous companies.