Microsoft to Ship Modified Windows XP

[IGBT]

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The new software, called Windows XP Home Edition N and Windows XP Professional Edition N, is Microsoft's second attempt to meet the Commission's requirement. It distributed a version of XP to channel partners in January, but the Commission rejected that product as unsatisfactory.



Cost Concerns
Microsoft has said the software will cost the same as the "standard" version of Windows XP, which Microsoft will continue to sell. Critics have argued that it should charge less for the versions without Windows Media Player, on the grounds that consumers will not pay the same price for less software, undermining the ruling.

 

[RichUK]

whats?!?!?!?! .. (not aimed at the OP) .. i dont get the point, MS are releasing a cheaper version of XP, and the only changed part is it dont come with WMP, lol what a waste .. you can just downlaoded it for free anywa ... maybe i missed some other things i just skimmed

 

[nweaver]

I agree that MS should charge full price if it's just missing WMP and a few other free bits of software. You didn't buy XP because "OMG!!1! It's got WMP9!!1!". You bought and updated and improved kernel and OS core.

 

[Sureshot324]

Microsoft was ordered last March to sell a version of Windows XP without its media player software, as part of the Commission's ruling that the software maker abused its "near-monopoly" in Europe to harm competition. By effectively forcing PC makers to include Windows Media Player with every computer they sold, Microsoft gained an unfair advantage over rivals such as RealNetworks and Apple Computer, the Commission said. The Commission is the E.U.'s executive body.

Uh, by the same logic, shouldn't they also be forced to remove IE, Windows Messenger, the Calculater, Notepad, and well, pretty much the whole OS?

 

[firewall]

Window's own Defragmenting tool, Firewall and Movie Maker too...LOL!

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: Sureshot324

Microsoft was ordered last March to sell a version of Windows XP without its media player software, as part of the Commission's ruling that the software maker abused its "near-monopoly" in Europe to harm competition. By effectively forcing PC makers to include Windows Media Player with every computer they sold, Microsoft gained an unfair advantage over rivals such as RealNetworks and Apple Computer, the Commission said. The Commission is the E.U.'s executive body.

Uh, by the same logic, shouldn't they also be forced to remove IE, Windows Messenger, the Calculater, Notepad, and well, pretty much the whole OS?

What actually is the 'OS' is up for interpretation