Sunday, March 04, 2007

More Microsoft lockin tactics in practice

A university in the US has decided to use the Microsoft web mail system. Someone wrote in to Slashdot asking how they could have their non-Microsoft email client get the mail (just as you can with Google's GMail). Answer: you can't. Again, Microsoft avoid implementing standards (in this case POP and IMAP) because to do so would leave people with a choice, and Microsoft don't want that. Once they have you, they want you locked in to them.

A comment to the Slashdot post addresses this:

University Migrating Students to Windows Live Mail?

Did you read the bit about not even being able to forward your email? Amazing.

If Microsoft really supported an open market place, they would compete on the merit of their software. Because they know that their software is slipping further and further behind, they must resort to clinging onto customers by any means possible.

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