> but I can't understand how shipping IE with Windows lead to antitrust litigation.
It was a bit more than just shipping it with Windows. IE was built into the OS. It was hard to remove, and the rendering popped up in unexpected places. People would view their email in Outlook Express. The advice at the time was "you're safe from viruses if you don't open the email", but people didn't understand the the preview pane of OE was opening the email for them, and infecting their machine.
I agree that the closed systems we're seeing now are worse.
I hate all the lock-in that's happening at the moment.
The technology and 'integration' issues were mostly a side-show. The actual crime was forcing PC OEMs and ISPs to ship only Internet Explorer, which "cut off Netscape's air supply".
It was a bit more than just shipping it with Windows. IE was built into the OS. It was hard to remove, and the rendering popped up in unexpected places. People would view their email in Outlook Express. The advice at the time was "you're safe from viruses if you don't open the email", but people didn't understand the the preview pane of OE was opening the email for them, and infecting their machine.
I agree that the closed systems we're seeing now are worse.
I hate all the lock-in that's happening at the moment.