Microsoft settles with California for $1.1 billion

Microsoft has agreed to give Californian consumers up to $1.1 billion in vouchers to settle a mass of class-action lawsuits. This replaces a deal whereby Microsoft had offered to give vouchers to schools. The Merc says: "consumers will receive a voucher for $29 for each copy of Microsoft Office purchased, $26 for each copy of Excel, $16 for each copy of the Windows operating system and $5 for each copy of the word-processing program Word, according to plaintiffs' lawyers."