JCXP posted a lengthy story titled "That's enough. Down with Opera!" that asks its readers, and anyone else who does not agree with the EU's decision, to boycott all Opera software:
Quote:
Microsoft announced that they would no longer include Internet Explorer in versions of Windows 7 sold in Europe, and would leave it up to OEM builders to decide which browser to install.
Well, things took a turn for the worse today when Opera made a statement saying this was not enough, and have now pushed the EU to pursue with the antitrust case. Opera believes the only reasonable solution is for Microsoft to include a "ballot screen" for users to select which browser to use.
This is absolutely nothing more than a company, who can't legitimately gain market share, trying to squeeze their unpopular browser onto Windows systems. Opera is simply upset because their browser is dead last in market share, and has already been surpassed by the recently released Google Chrome browser and Apple's Safari browser for Windows.
Microsoft is entirely within their right to include Internet Explorer as the default browser within their own OS, just like Apple includes their own Safari as the default browser in Mac OS X, and just like Opera Software would be free to include Opera as the default browser in their own OS, should they ever make one.
No company should be forced to include a competitor's product within their own products. This is as ridiculous as suing Coca-Cola to include Pepsi in their cans and bottles, or suing Toyota to use engines manufactured by General Motors in their vehicles.
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"That's enough. And it's time we do something about it.
Today, we are proposing a complete boycott of all Opera software."
The trouble with this bold statement is the logic behind it is a little flawed. Yes, Opera "started it." However, regardless of your opinion on the whole antitrust case, the fact is that the EU found it reasonable enough to investigate.
Furthermore, it's equally important to note that both Mozilla and Google voiced their support of Opera's effort to have the EU investigate Microsoft for bundling Internet Explorer in Windows. I mean, if you're going to be boycotting Opera because it pushed the EU to start the investigation, you're going to have to boycott Firefox and Chrome because their parent companies support it.
Interesting read at
Arstechnica.
What do you think of this? 