MS, EU Agree on Name for Windows Sans Media Player

An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft has agreed with European Union antitrust regulators on a new name for Windows software sold in Europe. Officials at the U.S. software giant said they had accepted the European Union's offer to call the European version of Windows sold without Media Player "Windows XP Home Edition N" - with "N" standing for "not with media player." Microsoft's "XP Professional Edition" will also include the "N" for versions sold without the media player. The prior name for the OS was Windows XP Reduced Media Edition." News.com also mentions the choice.

Comments

And this does what exactly?

[Spectra72]

Seriously..what is the EU's endgame in this? What's the point? So now instead of having to bother with installing Realplayer and Quicktime separately a person has to install Realplayer, Quicktime And Windows Media Player separately? This is a victory for the little guy, the consumer? Remember the consumer? I don't get it..seriously. I just don't get it. Monopolies can abuse their position, no doubt. I just don't see how the remedies that the EU have mandated really amount to anything more than hot air. If the average person surfs to 10 media rich websites, 7 of them are going to require WMP anyway...what's the point?

If the EU wanted to do some actual, tangible good, maybe they should have forced Dell or Gateway to offer alternative OS's on their PCs that are sold in EU markets.

Re:How about

[iamlucky13]

Last time I bought a car, it came with a stereo already in it, yet, this wasn't an antitrust or monopoly concern. All of the other car manufacturers also had the opportunity to include some form of music player in their cars, and in fact, most or all of them did so. I recognize that the media player is a great selling point for Windows, and it's hard for the smaller companies and to grab a piece of the market share, but that's the way it works. Kia and Hyundai didn't get into the US car market by forcing Ford and Chevy to sell cars without radios. They did it by targeting a slightly different market group and by underselling the larger competition.

The bottom line is, that in spite of my distaste for Microsoft, I don't see how bundling Windows Media Player with Windows fits into the category of antitrust. If they were after Microsoft for all those nifty contracts they've got with computer manufacturer's to ship computers with Windows pre-installed, I'd understand that. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some shady dealing in getting those contracts, and you can definitely argue that they harm other OS's distributions. I think the EU is addressing their concerns about Microsoft in the wrong way.