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Microsoft faces FTC probe in Taiwan over Vista
Many people and businesses have been upset by how Microsoft deployed Windows Vista and has treated Windows XP since. The strongest form of protest for most of them was simply choosing not to use Windows Vista, such as when Intel decided to skip and wait for Windows 7. That's fair enough, but some have taken it much farther. Microsoft is finding out first hand that some people are considering to make it a legal issue, which seems ridiculous.
In Taiwan, Microsoft is facing the Fair Trade Commission due to complaints filed against them regarding Windows Vista. In short, people feel they have been forced to buy Vista, due to Microsoft ceasing sales of Windows XP this year. The Taiwan FTC is now going to probe the company's actions in Taiwan, to see if ceasing Windows XP sales is truly “forcing” people to migrate to Vista.
Microsoft could face penalties if that is indeed the finding of the FTC, though nowhere near as high as has been levied on them in other countries for other practices. Even though Microsoft's handling of Vista could have gone better and it is obvious they’d want to strong-arm people into using it, there's truly no "forcing" occurring at any point. Microsoft has proven themselves willing to still divvy out Windows XP licenses (if reluctantly) even today.
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User Comments (9)
Post a comment| dustin_ds3000 on August 18, 2008 9:44 PM | how are people being forced to buy Vista, i was at walmart two days ago and i seen xp still being sold and how can you forced to buy anything, if you dont want vista buy a mac
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| ronaldarjune on August 18, 2008 10:26 PM | They are not thinking with the heart, microsoft is thinking with the pocket and how they can out manuver the rest of the world because the people of most foreign countries that are underdeveloped cannot afford a computer so it is also part of a government conspiracy to stay way ahead of the game of technology development. XP use is now supported less so they will be forced to spend what little they have for vista just to keep up with this country, America.
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| therickster90 on August 18, 2008 11:34 PM | I don't see how Microsoft is forcing anything. And people can't just demand that a company keep an old product, especially when they're trying to move forward. I don't really see the problem anyway. If you have XP, no real reason to upgrade (they're not going to deactivate or anything), and if you're buying a new comp, the cost of XP and Vista is about the same.
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| fullmetalvegan on August 19, 2008 1:29 AM | Yeah it's like me suing Nintendo because no titles come out on the SNES anymore, etc. It's just technological progression, if a company doesn't want to sell an old product anymore, it doesn't have to. Simple.
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| yukka on August 19, 2008 8:40 AM | Desperation. Someone smells money and they are trying their arm.
Im thinking I might sue MS for stopping development of windows 95 and forcing me to upgrade to windows 98 for improved usb support.
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| windmill007 on August 19, 2008 12:16 PM | I agree...I should be able to buy a new computer with XP. This is just strong arming the customers. I am in business and would rather buy a used computer with xp than be forced to get vista with a new computer. Sorry but vista and xp are not the same. Xp works for our company and vista would cause nothing but problems we don't need. We use active desktop to display our intranet on all our workstations..and guess what..the new and great vista can not do that. It no longer supports active desktop. Booooo Microsoft!
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| yukka on August 19, 2008 1:15 PM | My company (running Vista Business SP1) has active desktop items like the company noticeboard loading on the desktop just like the XP machines have with active desktop. They have been coded in house but time saved in maintenence could be used to write such items.
Working in Support I find it much easier to maintain Windows Vista (drivers are ridiculously easy to find and hardware seems to install itself) and WDS is fast and makes it very easy and quick to deploy Vista to multiple machines. When I have to reimage XP machines nowadays, its a complete drag as it rarely identifies unknown devices - how many times have you ever told XP it can check windows update for a driver for an unknown device and had a positive result? Its hopeless. Vista heads to Windows Update and 9 times out of 10 it comes back with usable drivers. It also gives advise and solutions for known problems with hardware and software you have installed, including direct links to the downloadable files on manufacturers websites Still, horses for courses but as someone working at a company that has rolled out Vista I am very impressed and I wouldnt go back to XP if i had a choice. [Edited by yukka on 2008-08-19 13:21:31]
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| JDoors on August 19, 2008 5:37 PM | Chrysler's discontinuing a model I was considering, I'm gonna sue and FORCE them to continue making it until I'm ready to buy! I miss my Sega Genesis, FORCE Sega to make it again!
If government's think they can run MicroSoft better why don't they just get it over with and nationalize the darn company?
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| therickster90 on August 20, 2008 11:09 AM | Originally posted by JDoors:
Notice also that this is in Taiwan. Hopefully this kind of stuff doesn't start in earnest in the US. Between the FTC and the EU, companies like Microsoft and Intel (and even Nintendo) put up with a lot of crap. [Edited by therickster90 on 2008-08-20 11:14:15]
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