Vista gets slated - by the Greens

Mon, 29 Jan 2007
Ben Camm-Jones
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The Green Party has slammed Microsoft and it's forthcoming operating system, Windows Vista, in a withering attack on the company's "monopoly".

The Green Party has slammed Microsoft and it's forthcoming operating system, Windows Vista, in a withering attack on the company's "monopoly".

Microsoft not only takes criticism for allegedly environmentally unfriendly policies, but for attacking civil liberties.

The party claims that "Vista gives Microsoft the ability to lock you out of your computer," and that "Microsoft are determined not to play fair" in the video content market.

There launch of Vista will be bad for the average consumer, the party said, because many people will need to buy new computers.

"Vista requires more expensive and energy-hungry hardware, passing the cost on to consumers and the environment. This will also further exclude the poor from the latest technology," said Derek Wall, male principle speaker for the Greens.

A better alternative to Microsoft products would be open-source software, he added. "Free software can run on existing hardware, reduces licensing costs for small businesses and affords important freedoms to consumers," said Wall.

Sian Berry, the Green Party female principle speaker, was even more scathing of Microsoft, especially the environmental impact the launch of Vista will have.

"Future archaeologists will be able to identify a 'Vista Upgrade Layer' when they go through our landfill sites," claimed Berry.

However, it is the struggle to maintain dominance in the technology market that motivates Microsoft, she said.

"We should remember that this is about Microsoft trying to dictate the way that video content gets delivered - much as Apple are trying to do with iTunes - in order to corner the market.

"Now is the time to act, if we want to see the Microsoft monopoly kept out of the video market," said Berry.

Microsoft, however, maintained that it was concerned about environmental issues, and was not attempting to corner the market.

“We believe Windows Vista and Microsoft 2007 Office reflect Microsoft’s deep commitment to the shared interests of customers, the technology industry, communities and governments worldwide," said Matt Lambert, director of government affairs at Microsoft UK.

"Environmental issues are important to us all and we believe we are making important steps towards reducing the environmental footprint of our products and the hardware on which they run."

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/