M31, just to make it clear: there is no law against "leveraging the OS asset" for the objective of selling more of something else. Plainly, as I've pointed out ad infinitum, Pepsi and Coke are willing to own whole restaurant chains in order to move soft drink. Credit card companies are forever trying to stuff your credit card statement envelope with all kinds of ads for perfume, travel clubs, pen sets, watches, you name it, whatever they think you might buy. This is "leveraging an asset to sell something else".
You of course act as though this practice is evil, and that everyone knows it's evil. Wrong.
I see nothing wrong with Microsoft trying to push more IE. It's just business, don't take it personal.
Now it's true that having a 90%ish earned market share, MSFT will need to learn that the DOJ won't want to see MSFT acting and saying competitive things like "Wow, look how our sales are exploding as compared to the lousy competition's product".
It's a brave new world out there, and yes, the word police are on the hunt. |
