] The decision draws on memos, testimony, U.S. court
] records and much more. It finds Microsoft can "behave to
] a very large extent independently of its competitors, its
] customers and ultimately of consumers."
]
] To back that up, the decision quotes from an internal
] memo sent to Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates on February
] 21, 1997 by C general manager Aaron Contorer, a
] software expert.
]
] "There is a huge switching cost to using a different
] operating system," he wrote Gates.
]
] "It is this switching cost that has given customers the
] patience to stick with Windows through all our mistakes,
] our buggy drivers, our high TCO, our lack of a sexy
] version at times...
]
] "It would be so much work to move over that they hope we
] just improve Windows rather than force them to move," he
] said.

[ From the reuters summary of the EU decision. IP law issues and questions of actual monopolism aside, this sort of attitude is reason enough to never buy from MS, ever. -k]

Technology News Article | Reuters.com