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EU says Microsoft source code is "not enough"
”"It would be premature to conclude that offering access to source codes would necessarily resolve the problem of compliance," said EU anti-trust spokesman Jonathan Todd. Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes added that users needed more than just the code - they also need comprehensive instructions that would allow them to develop software compatible with Windows systems. “
As a coders myself, I rarely am used to getting instructions or walkthroughs when it comes to foreign code. Usually, it's up to the originally coders to document properly and the new coder to be able to understand it. Still, making the code available in the first place is big change of heart for MS, and may change the outcome of these trials.
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User Comments (12)
Post a comment|
DragonMaster
on January 27, 2006 2:38 PM |
If there is no documentation, how is Microsoft doing to work with it? |
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asphix
on January 27, 2006 2:59 PM |
I was pretty impressed by the offer personally. Asking Microsoft to write up how-to's/walkthroughs in addition to releaseing their source code is pretty insaine. Not only are they asking microsoft to expose a lot of their secrets.. but they want Microsoft to invest time (thus money) into explaining it for their benefit? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh... okay. |
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Race
on January 27, 2006 3:36 PM |
This is a significant step in the right direction for MS, considering how closely they've guarded their intellectual property in the past.Although I'm not familiar with protocol for providing instructions and documentation to go along with the code, 12,000 pages of docs and 500 hours of free tech. support indicates that MS is cooperating, and wants to put the issue to rest.Something I'm wondering about......with the EU still not being satisfied (at least initially), who see's to it that BOTH sides are being fair? |
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cyrax
on January 27, 2006 4:26 PM |
i can't beleive i'm about to say this but here goes......Are the EU a bunch of vampires who are trying to massacre microsoft? So what if there was a lack of documentation? what benefit is it going to be? Sure it'll make reading it a bit easier, but it'll give hackers more info. I don't know about them, but leaving hackers in the dark about advanced microsoft code is a good thing. |
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Phantasm66
on January 27, 2006 5:57 PM |
Microsoft’s move of allowing competitors to see the source code for the Windows operating systems may not prevent the company from [url=http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8FCHKL07. tm?campaign_id=apn_home_down&chan=db]facing colossal fines[/url], it has emerged. The threat of daily fines of $2.36 million may still be looming for the software giant.[quote]"It would be premature to conclude that offering access to source codes would necessarily resolve the problem of compliance," said EU antitrust spokesman Jonathan Todd.[/quote] |
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nathanskywalker
on January 27, 2006 6:01 PM |
lol, corporate wars! I don't have much too say on this, other than "i'm lovin it". |
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exscind
on January 27, 2006 7:17 PM |
I too debated the worthiness of the source code offered by Microsoft since I still don't believe the source code will be the "it" factor for EU. But really, the EU is just too greedy now. I don't think many of the countries in Europe will be satisfied until Microsoft stand on its knees and beg for compatability. There is a line to what Microsoft can and should do, and I think the EU is walking on that very thin line. And kudos to Microsoft for even presenting the source code to licensed corporations/companies, something no one (including me) thought was possible before. |
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MonkeyMan
on January 27, 2006 10:50 PM |
I'm not sure why the EU and Microsoft can't come to at least a fraction of an agreement. I mean Microsoft at least attempted to comply with the EU demands, but it seems like they just brushed of the licensing procedure for source code, and wanted more. I guess I don't fully understand the entire dispute, but that's the way it sounds to me. |
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spike
on January 28, 2006 3:19 AM |
C'mon guys! Could any one of you people digest that much source code and work out how to use it in a reasonable timescale (like, a few years?).the EU didn't ask for the source code. Effectively, they asked for API's and documentation. MS have played a pretty neat trick by divulging so much information that nobody can decipher it. In a way, you could say that this complies because it contains above and beyond what the EU asked for. I would argue that it doesn't comply for the same reason - IE, it's of no real use. |
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Nodsu
on January 28, 2006 3:21 AM |
Hmm, so instead of evaluating the move made by Microsoft, everyone should just take their word and think that the source code licencing is the best thing after sliced bread? Surely, one of the most ruthless monopolies of the world can be trusted to do the right thing when it comes to helping the competition..Do you really think that MS made a move of goodwill, after years of appallingly ruthless business? They just took the easy way out - throw some undocumented code fragments at the competition and see what they can make of it. As said by DragonMaster, the documentation and support is already there. Do you really think MS would let its thousands of programmers work by going through the horrid undocumented stuff written by others? (Well, looking at the horrid track record of MS programs, that may even be true :p ) |
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LoZz
on January 30, 2006 2:59 PM |
i hate the EU with a passion (not the fruit) and i agree with whats been said the EU is getting to greedy and it thinks its somesort of global power (or wishes) when realy it has nothing |
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mentaljedi
on January 31, 2006 9:58 AM |
The EU are good for everyone... but now its getting stupid! I think they would haevmore sucess in asking Isreal to give back Jeruselem. Hmmm... not going to go down very well.... |
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