← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Jean West
Thread ID: 11333 | Posts: 2 | Started: 2003-12-02
2003-12-02 10:34 | User Profile
Three related articles on the Israel vs. Microsoft squabble over Hebrew. Problem is, I don't know how credible "the register" or "the inquirer" are, and a Search fails to turn up any more familiar sources (they'd make more sense to me if #2 and #3 were reversed).
JW
[url]http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/39/25742.html[/url]
[B]Microsoft's Mac Hebrew snub prompts Israeli AntiTrust complaint[/B] By Andrew Orlowski in San Francisco Posted: 17/06/2002
Microsoft's refusal to provide Hebrew support in its Macintosh Internet Explorer browser or Office suite has prompted a complaint to Israel's antitrust department. It's a fascinating story which raises as many cultural questions as does it does political - all the more so, as we discovered last week, since neither Apple nor Microsoft want to confront the issue.
Hebrew writers have long complained that Microsoft Office for the Mac doesn't support the script: even though it's drawn from the Windows codebase which does support Hebrew, and many other right-to-left scripts to boot. The lack of support wasn't fixed in Office 2001:mac, and despite rich language support for developers in Apple's Mac OS X, Microsoft says it has no plans to add Hebrew to Office v.X:mac.
Even though it wouldn't cost Microsoft a cent, says Dov Cohen, a law student who formed the National Academic Macintosh Administrators group to lobby for Hebrew support in Microsoft products. Cohen says that the CEO of Apple's Israeli representative Yeda offered to underwrite the localization work, pay 1million shekels, and assure a pre-order of 2,000 copies from Apple France - but Microsoft Israel declined. (Yeda and Apple France didn't return our request for confirmation).
"What's the problem?" asks Cohen. "Microsoft Israel tried giving numerous excuses, such as it being unprofitable, or that they lack the knowledge. But that can't be it, since it's not going to cost them a nickle, and Yeda will hire Macintosh Developers for them that'll do the job - so what's the catch ?"
"Can anyone explain why IE:mac and Outlook Express:mac support Zulu and Portugeuse but not Russian or Hebrew?"
Or incredibly, Arabic and Korean too.
This represents a serious barrier to consumer adoption of the Macintosh in Israel, argues Cohen, who composed a ten-page letter to complaint to Israel's antitrust department which was signed by hundreds of academics. He's still waiting for a reply.
In the US Antitrust case, the appeals case upheld the finding that Microsoft was found guilty of abusing its monopoly power by tying further development of Office for the Macintosh to Apple's adoption of Internet Explorer as the default Mac browser.
Under Israeli antitrust law, Cohen points out, violations are considered criminal felonies, and apply to any company with 50 per cent market share. Tying is illegal, as is unreasonably refusing a service.
The US has this agreement with Israel on antitrust issues.
We couldn't get through to a member of Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit, with The Beast's PR Waggener Edstrom doing its job of denying access. A Wagg-Ed rep said that if there was a business case for it, there'd be a Hebrew version of Mac Office. And she helpfully pointed out the Korean example unprompted.
We'd love to know what Microsoft's MBU really thinks of the situation - from our experience, these guys do care about what they do, although it's frequently a thankless task. And from experience too, we know that Microsoft staff are as frustrated at being obscured behind Wagg-Ed's iron skirt as we are here on the outside.
" If there is a good reason they will go and develop a good version," said Wagg-Ed.
Had there been a communications breakdown?
"I don't know if that's the case."
We asked Apple Cupertino if they were pushing for better localization in Microsoft products, but they referred us back to Microsoft, and declined to comment.
So there we have it.
It's a reminder of how much market power a monopolist holds in shaping a culture. Microsoft's Hebrew support in Windows is considered excellent - and there's no question that they'd be endangering the cultural heritage by refusing to support Hebrew on the Mac. But it does ensure Hebrew speakers buy Windows. That's thing about globalization - every part of the world ends up looking the same ÃÂ or at least, using the same system software.
One world, and one OS to type on? ë
[url]http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=6633[/url]
[B]Israel defence establishment signs up to Microsoft [/B] [B]US sponsored deal to "lower costs"[/B] By Paul Hales Monday 09 December 2002
THE US IS TO KIT OUT the Israeli defence establishment with Microsoft "desktop and enterprise software" for three years at a total cost of around 100 million shekels ($21,288,000), news sources here report. An Israeli Ministry of Defense procurement delegation signed a framework agreement with Microsoft in New York which will be financed mainly with US aid, sources state.
US aid to Israel amounts to some $3 billion annually, although Israel is set to ask for more than double that amount this year, as well as additional loans of up to as much as $10 billion, according to newspaper reports here over the weekend.
The Ministry of Defence claims the agreement with Microsoft will help it to greatly lower costs, thanks to a "coordination of user needs, unified negotiations, and shortened software delivery times."
Microsoft will provide the Ministry with updates about "new products, technical innovations, and prices," we learn, as well, we imagine, as the usual (cough!) security updates.
Microsoft Israel has been contacted for comment, though none is as yet forthcoming. õ
[url]http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/33365.html[/url]
[B]Israel slams the door on Microsoft[/B] By Andrew Orlowski in San Francisco Posted: 14/10/2003 at 06:56 GMT
In a bold assertion of independence, Israel has thrown the full weight of its antitrust legislation at Microsoft.
The Israeli Ministry of Commerce has suspended all governmental contracts with Microsoft, and indicated that the ban will last throughout 2004. The de facto suspension means no upgrades for the duration, at a time when Microsoft is looking to roll out its Office 2003 upgrade; and the Ministry is said to be examining OpenOffice as an alternative.
It's a consequence of a much-anticipated legal verdict: Israeli Antitrust Authority director general Dror Strum has finally acknowledged that Microsoft is a monopoly.
Register readers play no small part in this remarkable story. Apple users in and beyond Israel have long called for an alternative to the Microsoft monopoly that supports Hebrew. Although Apple has provided operating system-level support for Arabic, Hebrew, Urdu and other right to left languages since the release of Mac OS X 10.2 last year, Apple's largest software vendor has declined to provide support in its applications. Frustrated by lack of movement from either Microsoft or Apple to redress the balance, Apple users in Israel have threatened to sue Israel's antitrust department for failing to enforce its own laws.
As a result of the outcry, The Register was the first to report on the brewing antitrust actions.
Several groups have lobbied for Microsoft to be subjected to Israel's strict antitrust legislation. But the issue was forced by the Online Freedom Foundation lobby group, whose head Oded Lavi has fought the legal battle that brings to light a hitherto unpublished agreement between Microsoft and Israel's former Antitrust Authority director David Tadmor, signed in 1999.
The agreement specified that any restrictions imposed as a consequence of the US Department of Justice's antitrust action against Microsoft would be applied in Israel. They weren't enforced, until now. A statement issued by the State Prosecutor added that Tadmor had signed the 1999 agreement in haste, failing to consider all the options. After weathering complaints that he had procrastinated Strum was left with no option but to enforce Israel's antitrust provisions.
The decision will almost certainly focus Microsoft's attentions on supporting Urdu, Hebrew and Arabic on non-Windows platforms. ë
Related Stories Apple Israel chief calls for 'Save Hebrew' write-in Microsoft's Mac Hebrew snub prompts Israeli AntiTrust complaint Mac users to MS: your Right to Left defence is Upside Down
2003-12-02 15:27 | User Profile
I trust Microsoft to take care of themselves. This is the part that really burns me up:
[QUOTE]US aid to Israel amounts to some $3 billion annually, although Israel is set to ask for more than double that amount this year, as well as additional loans of up to as much as $10 billion, according to newspaper reports here over the weekend. [/QUOTE]
Surely there is a special place in hell for our bought and paid for congressmen that have sold-out our Republic.