I'm writing a term paper on Microsoft and I'd like some help

[VaporTrail]

My paper is basically a rebuttal against a local newspaper's view that the EU isn't justfied in suing Microsoft. The editor believes that if the EU gets away with suing, this will cause a "precedent in European courts that would allow them easily fine companies, regardless of where those companies primarily do business". The editor also states that Microsoft is basically just an American company, meaning that Microsoft does most of it's business in the US. I find this totally ludicrous because aren't computers all over the world running some form of windows? (I've never been out of the US, so I don't really know). Anyway, do you know where I could find some online resource that could aid me in proving that Microsoft doesn't just do business mainly in the US?

thanks

 

[wkabel23]

This should help.

 

[BugsBunny1078]

Microsoft is an American company. It employs thousands of Americans and generally does alot of good for our country.
Microsoft does export software all over the world but employs mostly Americans.Not only that but it actually pays well.
The main thing that makes it an American company though is the ownership of it. SInce it is mostly owned by Americans it is therefore American. If Microsoft were mostly owned by Japanese stockholders I would not hesitate to call it a Japanese company.
We can't allow the EU to fine Microsoft.Microsoft is a large part of our economy. Essentially sanctions against Microsoft are sanctions against the United States. What are they punishing us for? Sanctions against the US because windows contains a media player? Get real. Who doesn't want to be able to listen to mp3s right out of the box.Oh if Microsoft didn't include free software then someone else could sell it, but are we going to alow our country to be fined for giving away free software? I recommend immediate halt to all European imports.

 

[VaporTrail]

I realize that it's an American company, but doesn't Microsoft control a lot of power outside the US with their Operating system? I figured that Windows was the most used OS in the world followed by Apple OS and a linux Distro... period

 

[BugsBunny1078]

All operating systems are made in the USA so I don't think anyone has a choice in the matter.

 

[ianbergman]

Originally posted by: BugsBunny1078
All operating systems are made in the USA so I don't think anyone has a choice in the matter.

linux?

 

[BugsBunny1078]

Originally posted by: ianbergman

Originally posted by: BugsBunny1078
All operating systems are made in the USA so I don't think anyone has a choice in the matter.

linux?

Well yeh technically that is made all over the world I guess. The distribution companies like REDHAT are US though. Maybe there are other publishers of their own versions in other countries.
Anyhow if you want to prove Microsoft as a un-american company you must do what everyone else who has to prove anything that isn't true.
You must lie.

 

[VaporTrail]

No no no, i'm not saying it's not an American company. I'm just saying that Microsoft doesn't just do business in US... it does it worldwide. But I was asking if there were any figures of what's used outside the USA for OS...

 

[BugsBunny1078]

Good idea. Your lies will be more convincing if you throw in a few verifiable facts.
Get those numbers and mix in some statistics with it to support your case. Statistics can be made up and usually are, since noone can ever verify them. Push it all into a package and sell it as your case. That is, I assume, the purpose of the lesson.

 

[rchiu]

Originally posted by: BugsBunny1078
Microsoft is an American company. It employs thousands of Americans and generally does alot of good for our country.
Microsoft does export software all over the world but employs mostly Americans.Not only that but it actually pays well.
The main thing that makes it an American company though is the ownership of it. SInce it is mostly owned by Americans it is therefore American. If Microsoft were mostly owned by Japanese stockholders I would not hesitate to call it a Japanese company.
We can't allow the EU to fine Microsoft.Microsoft is a large part of our economy. Essentially sanctions against Microsoft are sanctions against the United States. What are they punishing us for? Sanctions against the US because windows contains a media player? Get real. Who doesn't want to be able to listen to mp3s right out of the box.Oh if Microsoft didn't include free software then someone else could sell it, but are we going to alow our country to be fined for giving away free software? I recommend immediate halt to all European imports.

First of all, lets be clear that we are talking about if EU is justified in suing an American company. We are not talking about if Microsoft violated the Law overthere, that is a different topic.

That local news paper editor and BugsBunny has no idea what the heck they are talking about. And it is ludicrous to state that if a company is an American company, it is not bounded by the regulation of the market that the company is selling to.

MS is being sued for antitrust charges, meaning it is sued for unfair practice to gain competitive advantage in the market it is selling to. Based on that charge, who cares where the company is located at, at long as the company participates in a market, it is bounded by the law governing the market.

If Microsoft does not sell in the EU market, of course EU have no power to go after MS. But the fact is MS sells millions of Windows OS and other products in EU, and its competitors in EU deserve fair competition against Microsoft. And it is perfectly legal for EU to sue Microsoft if Microsoft indeed violated the antitrust regulation in EU market.

 

[BugsBunny1078]

Originally posted by: rchiu

Originally posted by: BugsBunny1078
Microsoft is an American company. It employs thousands of Americans and generally does alot of good for our country.
Microsoft does export software all over the world but employs mostly Americans.Not only that but it actually pays well.
The main thing that makes it an American company though is the ownership of it. SInce it is mostly owned by Americans it is therefore American. If Microsoft were mostly owned by Japanese stockholders I would not hesitate to call it a Japanese company.
We can't allow the EU to fine Microsoft.Microsoft is a large part of our economy. Essentially sanctions against Microsoft are sanctions against the United States. What are they punishing us for? Sanctions against the US because windows contains a media player? Get real. Who doesn't want to be able to listen to mp3s right out of the box.Oh if Microsoft didn't include free software then someone else could sell it, but are we going to alow our country to be fined for giving away free software? I recommend immediate halt to all European imports.

First of all, lets be clear that we are talking about if EU is justified in suing an American company. We are not talking about if Microsoft violated the Law overthere, that is a different topic.

That local news paper editor and BugsBunny has no idea what the heck they are talking about. And it is ludicrous to state that if a company is an American company, it is not bounded by the regulation of the market that the company is selling to.

MS is being sued for antitrust charges, meaning it is sued for unfair practice to gain competitive advantage in the market it is selling to. Based on that charge, who cares where the company is located at, at long as the company participates in a market, it is bounded by the law governing the market.

If Microsoft does not sell in the EU market, of course EU have no power to go after MS. But the fact is MS sells millions of Windows OS and other products in EU, and its competitors in EU deserve fair competition against Microsoft. And it is perfectly legal for EU to sue Microsoft if Microsoft indeed violated the antitrust regulation in EU market.

Oh yes so we can fine BMW for putting extra features that american car companies don't put on. If EU had a valid operating system for sale then someone would buy it. They don't have anything to offer up as compeition so that is why they are crying. Microsoft will just up their european prices to recoup the money. Theyll have to pay too cause there is nothing else.

 

[Czar]

Originally posted by: BugsBunny1078

Originally posted by: rchiu

Originally posted by: BugsBunny1078
Microsoft is an American company. It employs thousands of Americans and generally does alot of good for our country.
Microsoft does export software all over the world but employs mostly Americans.Not only that but it actually pays well.
The main thing that makes it an American company though is the ownership of it. SInce it is mostly owned by Americans it is therefore American. If Microsoft were mostly owned by Japanese stockholders I would not hesitate to call it a Japanese company.
We can't allow the EU to fine Microsoft.Microsoft is a large part of our economy. Essentially sanctions against Microsoft are sanctions against the United States. What are they punishing us for? Sanctions against the US because windows contains a media player? Get real. Who doesn't want to be able to listen to mp3s right out of the box.Oh if Microsoft didn't include free software then someone else could sell it, but are we going to alow our country to be fined for giving away free software? I recommend immediate halt to all European imports.

First of all, lets be clear that we are talking about if EU is justified in suing an American company. We are not talking about if Microsoft violated the Law overthere, that is a different topic.

That local news paper editor and BugsBunny has no idea what the heck they are talking about. And it is ludicrous to state that if a company is an American company, it is not bounded by the regulation of the market that the company is selling to.

MS is being sued for antitrust charges, meaning it is sued for unfair practice to gain competitive advantage in the market it is selling to. Based on that charge, who cares where the company is located at, at long as the company participates in a market, it is bounded by the law governing the market.

If Microsoft does not sell in the EU market, of course EU have no power to go after MS. But the fact is MS sells millions of Windows OS and other products in EU, and its competitors in EU deserve fair competition against Microsoft. And it is perfectly legal for EU to sue Microsoft if Microsoft indeed violated the antitrust regulation in EU market.

Oh yes so we can fine BMW for putting extra features that american car companies don't put on. If EU had a valid operating system for sale then someone would buy it. They don't have anything to offer up as compeition so that is why they are crying. Microsoft will just up their european prices to recoup the money. Theyll have to pay too cause there is nothing else.

oh, bmw has monopoly on cars in the US, didnt know that
you learn something new every day

 

[Cerb]

MS treats the OS as a platform to push applications that *should* be optional.
I disagree with this, and hope that in the next version, IE can be uninstalled, or at least disabled from going out to the 'net, and whatever media players we get can be easily uninstalled.
OTOH, while the EU guys might have a point, it's hardly monopolistic to let people decide whether or not to use thrid-party applications. What they are trying to do is like saying Ford needs to remove all cup holders in their cars, so that stick-on cupholder manufacturers can offer more competition.

 

[XZeroII]

If you don't have any facts on your own, or can't get them on your own, then you have no right writing a paper on that subject.