Santa did no favours for Microsoft this Christmas. The software giant lost its appeal in its landmark antitrust case with the EU, and is now obliged to offer a version of Windows, stripped of its MediaPlayer software, which runs video and music, without delay.
Microsoft will also have to license information to rivals, making it easier for them to design servers that work as well with Windows as Microsoft's own software. Mary Jo Foley, of Microsoft Watch says it is no bad thing for Microsoft to be forced to unbundle video and music software from Windows. She argues that the company has rested on its laurels with its Internet Explorer browser because of a lack of competition. Virtually the whole computing world depends on IE because it is bundled with Windows, which is used in more than 90% of PCs. She notes that IE has hardly undergone any major revision since 2001.
At the Motley Fool financial website, Bill Mann says yesterday's decision sets an important precedent that could pose problems for Microsoft down the line. Should Microsoft go after Google and try to bundle search functions into Windows, the company will have to look over its shoulder at the potential for further action from the EU, he argues.
