Modular Windows plan 'welcomed' (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Daniel Emery
Technology reporter, BBC News

Plans to introduce modular features in Windows 7 have been welcomed by the European Commission's former Microsoft monitoring trustee.

Windows Features allows users to turn off applications such as Media Centre, Media Player and Internet Explorer.
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EU regulators have ended full-time monitoring of Microsoft, which was started to ensure the firm complied with an anti-trust ruling.
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"US firms come here, speak the same language (especially in Britain), and think they are working in an identical environment.

"They're not, because in Europe, that type business model isn't remotely fair."
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7932149.stm

[pokerfan]

1. Even Microsoft realizes that their software sucks

The first thing I do with any Windows install is install http://www.openoffice.org/">Open Office and replace Media Player with http://www.videolan.org/vlc/">VLC and IE with http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/">Firefox & http://www.google.com/chrome">Chrome.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. No, they just don't like to pay big fines.

Especially in Euros.

[pokerfan]

3. I prefer my characterization

:)

[Warpy]

4. Same here, but there's no way to get rid of IE

in present versions of Windows. It's always there on the hard drive, its code shared by other Windows functions.

I don't think there's a program I loathe as much as MS Word, though. Word Pad does all the things I want it to and doesn't reformat what I've put in before printing it. Plus, it doesn't have that fucking paperclip.

[pokerfan]

5. Yeah, when it comes to IE there's not much you can do

What I meant by replace was make FireFox the default browser and then remove/hide the IE shortcuts. I don't mind it sitting there on the drive as long as I never have to see it.

Outlook is another one that bugs the hell out of me. Fortunately Firefox 3 made it even easier to make GMail (or Thunderbird) your default email so that when you click on an email link, you don't have Outlook spinning up and getting in your face.

[ljm2002]

6. Ha ha, I thought it was a green initiative...

...and had something to do with easy-to-install double-paned windows or something.

(sorry, you may now return to your regular thread)