The European Union's antitrust chief expressed confidence Monday that his landmark decision against Microsoft Corp. would withstand a court challenge due this week, even as his U.S. counterpart renewed criticism of the order. The U.S. software giant said it would file its promised appeal this week and also ask the European Court of First Instance to suspend the EU's sanctions, including a record euro497 million (US$606 million) fine. "We believe we have a strong case to bring to court," the company said in a statement.
At a Brussels conference on trans-Atlantic antitrust policy, EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said he was "pretty comfortable," describing the Microsoft decision—reached after a five-year probe—as the most solid in EU history. "We look forward with confidence to the very likely court proceedings," he said. Assistant U.S. Attorney General for Antitrust R. Hewitt Pate declined to comment specifically on the appeal, but reiterated criticism in Washington after the EU's March 24 decision. Pate warned the EU's order to Microsoft to offer a version of its Windows minus its digital Media Player could "chill competition and innovation," ultimately harming consumers. He also questioned its "administerability," suggesting it might be hard to enforce.
News source: eWeek
At a Brussels conference on trans-Atlantic antitrust policy, EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said he was "pretty comfortable," describing the Microsoft decision—reached after a five-year probe—as the most solid in EU history. "We look forward with confidence to the very likely court proceedings," he said. Assistant U.S. Attorney General for Antitrust R. Hewitt Pate declined to comment specifically on the appeal, but reiterated criticism in Washington after the EU's March 24 decision. Pate warned the EU's order to Microsoft to offer a version of its Windows minus its digital Media Player could "chill competition and innovation," ultimately harming consumers. He also questioned its "administerability," suggesting it might be hard to enforce.
News source: eWeek
What's New in This Release:
· Added possibility to select the default project dir.
· Changed the select drive combo boxes, and added icons.
· Fixed the convert Wav to MP3 window so that open and saves shows correctly.
· Fixed an error when canceling test write in the ISO Writer.
· Fixed so that ISO writer open with the default project path.
· Fixed installer so the file msvcr70.dll installs in the system dir.
· Added an option to backup, and restore the option settings. This is useful if you want to restore the values after an uninstall.
· Added a check when canceling a write, now you will get a question if it’s ok to cancel.
· Fixed an error when there is no sound card available in the Audio Writer.
· Fixed the convert MP3 to Wav window so that open and saves shows correctly.
· The size meter will now work without any CD or DVD in the drive.
· Fixed an error in the size bar when adding small files.
· The ISO converter can now handle big .bin files and convert them to .iso.
· Corrected an issue when trying to convert small .nrg files.
· Added the possibility to enable and disable automatic speed detection from the options dialog.
I want a Windows without Media Player, Outlook, Messenger and IE in the US too!
Microsoft should be able to put anything they want in windows hope some day soon they can add an antivirus. It is fine so to say I want my OS with nothing else on it. But most users of windows would find it a major inconvenience to not have these programs there and ready to use. Remember just because you want to pay for programs we now get for free does not mean the rest of us do. Lots of people out there don't know about Windows Update or how to use it so telling them just go there if you want it is not has easy has it seem. Anyway I hope they find away around it or maybe the answer it to offer a striped down version for an extra cost.
As for media player i know alot of people who install what ever they want to install for music or video but whatever the case they akways use media player for videos if they use something else for music and vise versa
Making ms release a version without media player is just being petty and silly.
Lets face it would anyone actually buy it?
Senario
Retail Assistant: Oh theres two versions you could buy of windows, Both are the same price only one comes without windows media player so you wont be able to play mp's or watch videos unless you buy/download your own.
Which would you buy?
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