Microsoft Windows XP N Flops

ChocLinux writes "Dell, Lenovo and Fujitsu Siemens have announced they have no plans to pre-install Windows XP N, the version of Windows without a bundled media player that Microsoft released to comply with the European Commission antitrust ruling. It is now almost six months since Microsoft released Windows XP N, and the fact that no-one wants to sell it suggests that this antitrust case may be going the way of the US one. Also, the article raises the question - now that RealNetworks has settled with Microsoft, will anyone bother to complain about this? Of course there's a chance that the EC might bring a new antitrust case against Microsoft, but how much more effective is that likely to be?"

Unfortunatly...

[Chr0me]

This just makes an easy out for Microsoft in the future. Now they have the excuse that their partners will not sell equipment without the bundled software (IE, WMP, etc.).

The only possible upside is that this could lead to a stronger argument for allowing the user to actually choose their own OS instead of just between the Home and Pro version of Windows.

What am I thinking? Then the manufacturers would actually have to hire tech support staff to help with more than just Windows. Yeah, that's gonna happen.

Capitalism

[Anonymous Coward]

One small step of Europe towards capitalism one giant flame war for /.

Does this mean that...

[tsa]

We will see version 2 of Steve's monkeydance [ntk.net] soon?

Re:the customers need to...

[Anonymous Coward]

"For whom, the hell, in the attic"
for what, the hell, kind of grammar is this?

Re:It is open

[Anonymous Coward]

Firefox lacks spyware integration ;)

Re:Funny how...

[MysteriousPreacher]

Well yes but someone who wants to drive a Renault has only one supplier, Renault. Yes you can buy cars from other companies but if you want a Renault then Renault seem to have the monopoly on that.

Re:It is open

[tshak]

It's impossible to install Windows, and nearly impossible to get the Microsoft published updates for their terribly secure OS, without Internet Explorer.

It's an outrage. You can't update Microsoft's software on 3rd party platforms! To make things worse, Windows update only works on Windows! They force you to use their platform to update their platform! It doesn't even work on Linux!

Re:XP "Home" N

[zachdms]

Actually, there's XP Pro N too. Got a copy in my office. :)

Re:Some fun facts

[lucifuge31337]

First off, people should be aware that MS was also fined 500 million euros, quite a lot of money, wouldn't you agree.

I seem to remember a comment on the Daily Show the last MS go around that went somehting like "at that rate, Microsoft will run out of money just 100 years after the earth crashes into the sun."