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Latest reports from the US news group Bloomberg show that tablet maker Barnes & Noble have asked U.S. regulators to investigate Microsoft as they seek to monopolise the mobile market demanding royalties on electronics running on Google's Android operating system.
Barnes & Noble said “Microsoft is embarking on a campaign of asserting trivial and outmoded patents against manufacturers of Android devices. Microsoft is attempting to raise its rivals’ costs in order to drive out competition and to deter innovation in mobile devices.”
Microsoft have accused Barnes & Noble of infringing on five patents and have filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, asking them to stop importing Nook readers. Barnes & Noble are fighting back and have made four letters public, as well as a presentation to the Justice Department in a filing made yesterday.
Microsoft are claiming that they own patented inventions that are used in the Android Operating system and have already closed licensing deals with HTC Corp and Samsung Electronics, who make Android devices. Some sources are claiming that Microsoft are making more money from these licensing agreements than they are from their own sales of Windows 7 Phone devices.
Microsoft said “All modern operating systems include many patented technologies. Microsoft has taken licenses to patents for Windows and we make our patents available on reasonable terms for other operating systems, like Android. We would be pleased to extend a license to Barnes & Noble.”
Kitguru says: Barnes & Noble have a healthy business, selling $880 million work of Nook readers in 2011 and has expected their sales projections to double over the coming year.
Microsoft are a bully, but good luck to them, I think they need more income as windows 7 phone is a disaster
Glad to see that someone is finally standing up against Microsoft and their ridiculous patents. IMO, there are certain things that just shouldn’t have a patent on them in the first place. Maybe we will finally start stepping in the right direction of drawing this line. It really hurts a lot of companies to have to pay Microsoft to use a product made by Google.
Your kidding right at least MS is offering to let other companies use the patents but at a price. If they own the patents & others are infringing on those patents then someone has to pay for them. Unlike another company we know that just sues others to try to get them out of the market which is kinda fruity to me 🙂
Like I said MS has every right to ask for money for the patents they own & those companies will have to pay up if they want to sell their products. I rather like to see this approach than what some other fruity company is doing right now.
The device itself is amazing…
-great TOUCHSCREEN interface
-perfect reading screen
-clean looking design, small because there is no keyboard to make it bigger and it’s smaller than the original Nook
-reads formats natively that the Kindle won’t
-read all the ebooks you want in B&N stores for free
-library checkouts are easy
-press and hold on a word to get its definition
-highlight and take notes in a book easily
…but when you ROOT the thing it gets even better!
Install the Gmail app to get your mail, get the Opera browser (supports Flash!), install the Kindle app and you can read Kindle ebooks too, it has a Bluetooth chip so when hackers turn that on you will be able to attach a keyboard / microphone / headphone, and on and on. Make sure to get the Home Button Savior app so you can switch back and forth between the B&N reader and the rest of the device’s functionality.
I used these instructions:
[Amazon removed my link. Google “Root Nook Touch Using TouchNooter & Install Go Launcher, NookColor Tools, Gmail, Market & YouTube”, it’s the top link. ]
I will be buying LOTS of these as gifts, and I’m going to root them all! This is a perfect device for hackers and regular ebook readers too!
What’s a Kindle? Never heard of it.