Microsoft has been forced to make changes in the
Windows Vista OS following pressure from the California
attorney general.
Attorney general Edmund Brown said Microsoft has agreed to make
“significant changes” in the design of its desktop search feature
in the Windows Vista operating system.
Details of Microsoft’s agreement were outlined in a joint status
report that was filed in a federal district court regarding the
company’s compliance with the
2002 antitrust Final Judgment.
Brown said, “This agreement, while not perfect, is a positive
step towards greater competition in the software industry. It will
enhance the ability of consumers to select the desktop search tool
of their choice.”
The California Attorney General’s Office became concerned with
allegations that Microsoft was in violation of the Final Judgment
after Google presented a complaint about the desktop search
function in Vista, referred to as “Instant Search” in Microsoft’s
promotional materials.
Google argued that desktop search in Windows Vista is a
“Microsoft Middleware Product” (MMP) and is therefore subject to
the Final Judgment.
The state contended that Vista’s desktop search feature is
functionality that did not exist in prior Windows operating systems
and is therefore covered under the Final Judgment.
Under the proposed solution, Microsoft will provide users and
original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), such as HP or Dell, with
greater flexibility to choose and access competing desktop search
products.
Microsoft has promised to deliver the required changes in a beta
Service Pack 1 of Windows Vista, which Microsoft currently
anticipates will be available by the end of the year.
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