Scott Gardner wrote:
>
> No LBC content here, but this is the biggest group of intelligent,
> insightful and opinionated people I can reach on a short notice, and
> I need to bounce something off of y'all.
> If you haven't been following the story, the government has accused
> Microsoft of unfair business practices by "bundling" their new
> Internet Explorer 4.0 web browser with Windows 98. The claim is that
> the web browser is NOT an integral part of the operating system, but
> rather is an application program, and that by making it difficult for
> the end user to uninstall IE 4.0, that this will hurt companies such
> as Netscape that make a living selling web browsers, since most users
> will just blindly go with the Microsoft web browser that comes with
> the operating system.
> My question is, how does this differ from auto makers putting radios
> in new cars? No one could argue that a stereo is essential or
> integral to the operation of an automobile. While some car companies
> will offer a "radio delete" option allowing you to purchase a new car
> without a radio, many others do not. Some of the companies that DO
> offer the "radio delete" force you to buy the stereo anyway by making
> it part of an "option package" along with other options such as power
> windows or a sunroof. You can get the radio deleted, but that breaks
> up the "option package", and you lose the discount for buying the
> options as a package, thus spending more money than if you had gone
> ahead and kept the radio in the car in the first place.
> There are many car audio companies that would presumably make more
> money if new cars didn't come with radios already equipped, so why
> haven't they cried foul yet? While car owners CAN remove the
> factory radio and replace it with an aftermarket radio, this is very
> difficult on some cars due to switch location/integrated dashboards,
> etc., and many owners are just going to stick with the radio that
> came with the car, since it's already there.
> I'm sure there are other products and companies that have similar
> practices, but this was the first one that popped to mind. Any
> opinions?
>
> Scott
My understanding was that Microsoft, a virtual monopoly supplier of operating
systems, refused to supply the OS unless the hardware suppliers pre-installed
Explorer as well.
In my experience car purchasers can choose which radio to install where
self-contained radios are involved, and owners of cars with integral radios
are just pleased that they can't be stolen. A huge problem in the UK, at
least, as I can attest.
PaulH.
|