Microsoft Releases WMP-Free Windows Tomorrow in the EU

[Filip Norrgard]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/06/09/ms_wmp_windows/' target='_blank'>http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/06/09/ms_wmp_windows/</a><br /><br /></div>Is this the sign of changing times? Microsoft is to release a version of Windows without the Windows Media Player on Wednesday the 15th of June, that is, tomorrow (depending on your time zone):<br /><br /><i>"The move is part of the company's plan to comply with the European Commission's ruling in March last year that found the company had abused its market position by bundling the player with its operating system. The Commission fined Microsoft €497m and instructed it to strip the media player from the OS. The company issued a statement, Reuters reports, saying: "These products will be made available to computer manufacturers on June 15 in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, and will be available to other distribution channels including the retail and volume licensing channels on July 1." "</i><br /><br />I personally feel a bit mixed about this WMP-lite version of Windows. What is the use seperating WMP from Windows since it only is the other software manufacturers (Apple and Real mainly) that have alienated their own customers with ads and other strange CPU-eating features integrated into their own players. ;)

[randalllewis]

Prediction: This product will go down in history as an example of what happens when government tries to design products. Early marketing efforts by MS of this version of Windows XP had no takers among computer companies and I doubt few consumers will buy either. Your comment about the commercial clutter on other media players is the reason I don't use them. (I do use WMP and Musicmatch.) The protracted argument over the name of this version was also silly. It should have been called Windows EU.