Microsoft announced January 24 that it would begin shipping a version of Windows without Windows Media Player embedded, as well as divulging some software blueprints.
Microsoft said it would continue to appeal a European Union anti-trust decision from almost a year ago, though the company added it wouldn't appeal an interim court ruling last December ordering immediate compliance with the antitrust decision.
Analysts said the Microsoft decision would be a short-term blow, though not necessarily a severe one. "When it comes to having a government body dictate what they can and can't add to their most important product," said Directions on Microsoft researcher Matt Rosoff to reporters after the company announcement, "I don't think they're going to back down on that."
Microsoft said they expect to make the first Media Player-less Windows versions available in Europe "in the coming weeks," at about the same cost as the full version and available only within the 25 nation-member European Union.
"Rather than seeking to suspend the [European] Commission's remedies, Microsoft's focus now is on working constructively with the Commission on their full and prompt implementation," the company said in a formal announcement.
Other analysts said the EU order might not mean much in the long run because they don't expect much retail interest in Windows without the embedded Media Player.
