Windows Vista: Growing Concerns Over Consumer Choice

Representatives from Google Inc. were unable to comment on the measures Microsoft Corporation has taken to ensure that its customers will have easy accessibility to an array of Internet search engines when the Vista operating system launches in the coming months. (Source: technology.canoe.ca)

In a recent media interview, David Drummond, Google's senior vice president of corporate development continually stressed the importance of consumer choice of search and other applications when using the Vista system. (Source: iht.com)

Vista is Microsoft's first major update in nearly six years and the continual importance placed on choice stems from the criticisms expected to follow the launch date.

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that several precautions have already been taken, with particular attention being paid to the field of search. Programmers admitted to being initially concerned that the consumer would have limited choice when using Vista, but the belief is that all concerns have been reasonably dealt with. (Source: iht.com)

Already the European Union Competition Commissioner has wrote to Microsoft's CEO expressing concerns for Vista's areas of Internet search, digital rights management (DRM) tools used to protect copyrights and software used to create fixed document formats (similar to Adobe PDF).

In 2004, the European Union Antitrust Company discovered that Microsoft had broken several competition laws and were subsequently fined $613 million. Since then, the company has been adamant in ensuring all proper precautions are taken to avoid future problems. (Source: technology.canoe.ca)