Microsoft Caves to EU Pressure, Will Offer Browser Ballot

Ars Technica writes:

Microsoft has decided that the last thing it needs in this economy is some combination of the following: fines, legal bills, and a delay of Windows 7. It has offered to adopt the European Union’s preferred solution for bowser competition: a browser selector screen at startup.

Although Intel may have been hit with a bigger fine, the multi-year saga of Microsoft’s fight with the European Union’s Competition Commission may have run up larger legal bills, given its longevity. The most recent point of contention between Redmond and Europe has been the browser; Microsoft bundles its own with its operating systems, but the EU views that as using monopoly power to the detriment of potential competitors.

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