Microsoft threatens Korea

[YKhan]

Never mind Pyongyang, the biggest threat the South Korea appears to be
Microsoft. It's threatening Korea with Windows withdrawal if it dares
to insist on having Microsoft remove Media Player from Windows just
like the Europeans are. However it doesn't seem like it's threatening
Europe though. Maybe Europe is a bit more than it can handle? And what
would happen if these countries actually took up Microsoft's offer and
removed Windows from being distributed in their countries?

Microsoft threatens to withdraw Windows in S.Korea - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051028/tc_nm/microsoft_korea_dc

Yousuf Khan

 

[Robert Redelmeier]

Never mind Pyongyang, the biggest threat the South Korea appears to be
Microsoft. It's threatening Korea with Windows withdrawal if it dares
to insist on having Microsoft remove Media Player from Windows just
like the Europeans are. However it doesn't seem like it's threatening
Europe though. Maybe Europe is a bit more than it can handle? And what
would happen if these countries actually took up Microsoft's offer and
removed Windows from being distributed in their countries?

Microsoft threatens to withdraw Windows in S.Korea - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051028/tc_nm/microsoft_korea_dc

This is unbelieveable! Yet it is in MS's own words.

Now everyone who believes they have no control over MS will
be more-or-less compelled to draft contingency plans for the
possibility of MS withdrawing product. This includes especially
Euros & Asians, but may also include US corporations. MS has
said what they can and are willing to do.

I can think of no bigger boost for Linux.

-- Robert

 

[nobody]

This is unbelieveable! Yet it is in MS's own words.

Now everyone who believes they have no control over MS will
be more-or-less compelled to draft contingency plans for the
possibility of MS withdrawing product. This includes especially
Euros & Asians, but may also include US corporations. MS has
said what they can and are willing to do.

I can think of no bigger boost for Linux.

-- Robert

If IBM decided to withdraw PCs from certain markets back then in XT
era, these markets would have stuck with Commodore and Apple, which
means - incompatible with the rest of the world. Besides, all their
investments in PC software and periferials would've gone down the
toilet. Same here - govts and corporations invested so much in
MS-based infrastructure that the switch would be really painful, if
feasible at all. So take the threat seriously - it is on the same
scale as the threat of OPEC to withdraw oil - electric/hydrogen cars
will not come to blossoming overnight.
NNN

 

[hackbox.info]

Microsoft threatens to withdraw Windows in S.Korea - Yahoo! News

Dont worry, it was only a newly hired, "lower-level business person". Like
always.

 

[keith]

This is unbelieveable! Yet it is in MS's own words.

Now everyone who believes they have no control over MS will
be more-or-less compelled to draft contingency plans for the
possibility of MS withdrawing product. This includes especially
Euros & Asians, but may also include US corporations. MS has
said what they can and are willing to do.

At least it'll make corporations think about the data they've entrusted to
Microsoft's "corporate vision". ...one hopes! Nah...

I can think of no bigger boost for Linux.

Don't take that to the bank. :-(

 

[keith]

If IBM decided to withdraw PCs from certain markets back then in XT
era, these markets would have stuck with Commodore and Apple, which
means - incompatible with the rest of the world. Besides, all their
investments in PC software and periferials would've gone down the
toilet. Same here - govts and corporations invested so much in
MS-based infrastructure that the switch would be really painful, if
feasible at all. So take the threat seriously - it is on the same
scale as the threat of OPEC to withdraw oil - electric/hydrogen cars
will not come to blossoming overnight.

Exactly! The possibility was always there. There is now the overt
*threat* data extortion. Anyone with a brain had better take their data
seriously. Unfortunately, I don't see it happening.

 

[Grumble]

Never mind Pyongyang, the biggest threat the South Korea appears to be
Microsoft. It's threatening Korea with Windows withdrawal if it dares
to insist on having Microsoft remove Media Player from Windows just
like the Europeans are. However it doesn't seem like it's threatening
Europe though. Maybe Europe is a bit more than it can handle? And what
would happen if these countries actually took up Microsoft's offer and
removed Windows from being distributed in their countries?

If Microsoft chose to withdraw from some European country, then that
country's government might declare Windows in the public domain, the
Berne convention be damned.

 

[Joe Pfeiffer]

If Microsoft chose to withdraw from some European country, then that
country's government might declare Windows in the public domain, the
Berne convention be damned.

I doubt an Asian country would be less likely to do that than a
European country.