WALL STREET JOURNAL MARCH 3, 2004 TECHNOLOGY

EU May Demand Microsoft Let PC Makers Pick Media Players
By JAMES KANTER . Dow Jones Newswires BRUSSELS-- Instead of trying to force MicrosoftCorp, to sell stripped-down versions of Windows directly to consumers, European Union regulators are likely to demand that computer makers get to choose what multimedia software to install, people familiar with the case said. That tack would be designed to avoid requiring consumers to buy bare-bones operating' systems, as Microsoft has warned would be necessary if its Media Player software were unbundled. It also would be designed to avoid gray-market imports of full-function Windows from flooding into Europe.

Like regulators' suggestion-in the other half onhelr antitrust case-that Microsoft. and its rivals offering server software decide among themselves a way to level the playing field - the idea throws detailed solutions in the high-profile case into the hands of private industry. The EU has found that Microsoft has used its strength in personal-computer software to gain an illegal advantage in related markets, specifically software for large "server" computers and tools for playing audio and video on a PC.

The possible plan comes as Microsoft is trying to resolve the long-running EU investigation. Negotiations are reaching a critical stage. EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti is preparing to make a final decision on a remedy for the Microsoft case after hearing from EU government representatives, who meet on March 15 and 22 in Brussels.

One person familiar with the case said regulators plan to charge a fine in the area of €200 million (about $250 million) unless Microsoft agrees to a settlement. Settling one side of the case could cut that figure by half.

Any measures agreed to by Microsoft in a settlement are more likely to be applied globally. Regulators have worried that any unbundling order will be ineffective otherwise, because their writ runs only as far as the EU's borders.

In the Multimedia proposal, big hardware makers would choose which addons to install on top of Windows. It remained unclear how much software code Microsoft woUld be obliged to strip from some European versions of Windows under the plan. In a U.S. settlement of similar issues, Microsoft agreed to allow rivals' products to be offered alongside its own on computer desktops, but did not have to share proprietary code.

EU antitrust spokeswoman Amelia Torres declined to comment on the case. Microsoft spokesman Tom.Brookes reiterated the company's position that it is working actively toward an amicable settlement of the case.

The last thing that consumers need right now is having software companies become hobbled over trying to second guess what kind of software package will pass muster with government entities. This kind of government meddling will eventually afflict other software makers, not just Microsoft.

This kind of government meddling will eventually afflict other software makers, not just Microsoft.
But MS is a Monopoly so they lie cheat and do anything they can to get ahead. By putting everyone else out of business. Beside in an os do you need all of their programs. I for one would like to be able to take out what I want of the extras. If i have a program thats better than phone home Microsoft.

Oh awesome. No media player. What about the other 30 unessesary services?

me trying to move on to linux will dump microsucks soon. then won't have to worry about it.

...and IE is next!
Suck it, BillG.

This is just one example of Microsoft pushing their unwanted software on people. In Media Player, you have to pay extra for an mp3 ripper. Of course, the "windows media audio" decoder is provided for free.

THe riaa's website is down again.
hahahha

I'm using Cygwin right now for my Linux till I get get everything converted and learn the system better. Then I'll be going totally Linux. You should be able to pick and choose what apps you want in your operating system instead of having everything co-dependent on one another. Bad form, Billy. You suck, your company sucks, and your products are overpriced and sucks.

i think Microsoft should be able to sell there product however they like.

... and I think people should be able to buy a PC without paying the M$ tax. Go figure.

Until the general public is better educated re: computers this type of nonsense will continue. I hate having this conversation with people:

Them: So I'm having trouble with my computer...

Me: Oh. What operating system are you using?

Them: [pause] It's a Dell.

death123 - with microsoft's dominance, selling their product however they like equates to consumers getting crap they don't want shoved down their throats whether they like it or not. When trying to take WMP off my system I found out it's impossible. Try going to the media player folder and deleting the files - they magically reappear.

i see your point, i just don't know how i feel on this though. it maybe terrible how badly they monoplize and control things and have an operating system full of bugs but a government (or in this case the EU) telling them what to do, i don't know about that. Then again, are they really going to have the decency to police themselves? I'd think not.

Huge loophole alert!

The OEMs get to choose if they want to bundle media player or not. Microsoft will just drop unofficial hints that OEMs which bundle WMP may recieve preferential treatment. The OEMs, in turn, will claim they are bundling WMP for their customers convenience.

Anyway, WMP is only one aspect of MS attempts to media domination. Another is the Windows Movie Maker. If you plug a firewire DV camera into windows ME or XP, WMM will load automaticially. It saves only in WMA and WMV formats. Then theres the way Microsoft prevents the creation of tools capable of converting WM formats to open formats.

Hawk,

If there was enough consumer demand for a 'stripped down' windows operating system, I am sure that Microsoft would provide that on a large scale.

But I don't think that is what most customers really want. Most people, who are not computer geniuses, want software packages. If this were not true, then Microsoft would not be as successful as they are today.