Microsoft vs. the European Union: let’s boycott Opera!

First of all, no I do not boycott Opera, but some persons do want that for the reason that Opera Software triggered the whole antitrust browser case in Europe. In support of Opera Software, I am now writing this news using their browser!

The big news that triggered it all is that Microsoft, in response to the EU antitrust browser case, will be removing Internet Explorer 8 from Windows 7 in Europe.

I have to say that I am happy and delighted to hear this news. My point is that Microsoft should only be shipping a raw Windows. The computer manufacturer should then integrate Windows with a software solution of their choice, a software solution that integrates of course a browser and other tools. Just like Windows does not shipped with an office pack, but major computer vendors are adding office software applications to their computers offers.

In the competition, when you get Linux, you only get a kernel. The rest is just added software. Then, a company or a community gather and they create a distribution. A distribution is the OS (the Linux kernel) + a bunch of software so the whole is usable by any end user. Nowadays, computer manufacturers offer their hardware with such distribution. In this game, everyone is a winner: the customer (there is a free competition and usually all the applications feel better integrated in a distribution) ; the computer hardware vendor (they have competitive offers with little investment to do for the human interface part) ; and the distribution makers (they get a broader audience). When you buy a computer with Windows it usually sucks! You need to install a lot of software so it is usable, every shipped application looked different (get a Dell/HP/etc. computer with Windows, it is shipped with Norton antivirus which has a completely different HMI than the other applications, it has WinDVD or something similar again with yet another HMI, and so on), the interface does not feel consistent at all, the applications are not integrated with each other, etc. If you use a computer shipped with a Linux distribution, or we could even consider an Apple computer (though the model is different, closed and there is no free competition), the applications are well integrated, there is a common look & feel, they are much more polished, etc.

Maybe, the time has come when we will start seeing Windows distributions made by communities and companies! A time were Windows desktops will feel consistent and complete.

Now, a few lines about this Opera boycott. Why should we boycott Opera? Imagine that an hybrid engine manufacturer in the US – let’s call it Oprius – would open a case against the main car company – let’s call that one Microcar – because they ship their cars with only high consumption termic engines.

Some proponent will tell : Heck, with Microcar’s next car generation, they will have a termic engine that is more efficient and that is being developed internally. Why should they choose another external – albeit more innovative and environmental friendly – technology?

But the case starts and the US court is trying to persuade Microcar to use other technologies in their cars, in order to reduce the environmental impact of such vehicles. At this stage, Microcar gets the idea: ok, we agree, we will ship our next gen cars without engine. Of course, the car dealers network will add engines before selling the cars to customers. Thus, of course, no cars will be sold without an engine. Except for those few adepts of tuning who will be happy with the news because they could have the choice of their engine and build that themselves.

And now, there is a consumer group (by the way, who is backing them? ) that is screaming and crying: oh my god cars without engines, how can we do it?!? Let’s boycott Oprius, they are no good!

Now what do you think of that my readers? Myself, I am for the hybrid engine manufacturer! It is innovating and has a more efficient engine in terms of impacts on the environment. In Europe, we would say that the government should regulate (i.-e. make laws) so that in a near future hybrid engines are mandatory, and Oprius would be a precursor and well renowed.