Datamation content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
Microsoft Corp. said it will make some changes to its
Windows operating system in response to a government request to do so.
The changes to the operating system will make it simpler for consumers to
use rival software products for browsing Web pages, listening to music on
competitive media players, and also to use other e-mail and instant
messaging programs.
Microsoft said it will include a new icon, which will be more visually
prominent to users, so that they can make changes, if they are interested in
using some competitive software products. The company will go one step
further, providing detailed instructions how to make any changes to the
company’s default settings.
Microsoft’s modifications to its operating system were created as part of
ongoing discussions of implementing its antitrust agreement with the Justice
Department.
Microsoft changes are part of its “Set Program Access and Defaults,” which
enables users to choose which software programs they would like to use on a
regular basis. Among the applications that users can more easily adjust,
include e-mail and instant messaging programs, as well as which browser and
media player defaults users prefer.
Microsoft has already made some changes as part of its Service Pack, which
users can download from its Web page. And the latest changes are part of an
effort by the Justice Department to make sure the company is complying with
the provisions of the consent decree it has agreed to with the government.
One component of the latest changes by Microsoft will allow users to remove
the company’s Internet Explorer browser through a simple process from the
“start menu.”
Microsoft’s latest changes could provide a boost for some of its
competitors, including AOL Time Warner and its Netscape
Navigator Web browser and Opera Software ASA and its browser offering. The
changes also are a shot in the arms for RealNetworks Inc. and its RealPlayer audio and video downloading software.
But Microsoft still controls the market share for both browsers and media
players, and these latest modifications are not expected to create major
shifts in the market.
RELATED NEWS AND ANALYSIS
-
Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: Driving Greater Equality
FEATURE | By James Maguire,
December 16, 2020
-
AI vs. Machine Learning vs. Deep Learning
FEATURE | By Cynthia Harvey,
December 11, 2020
-
Huawei’s AI Update: Things Are Moving Faster Than We Think
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
December 04, 2020
-
Keeping Machine Learning Algorithms Honest in the ‘Ethics-First’ Era
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Guest Author,
November 18, 2020
-
Key Trends in Chatbots and RPA
FEATURE | By Guest Author,
November 10, 2020
-
Top 10 AIOps Companies
FEATURE | By Samuel Greengard,
November 05, 2020
-
What is Text Analysis?
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Guest Author,
November 02, 2020
-
How Intel’s Work With Autonomous Cars Could Redefine General Purpose AI
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Rob Enderle,
October 29, 2020
-
Dell Technologies World: Weaving Together Human And Machine Interaction For AI And Robotics
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Rob Enderle,
October 23, 2020
-
The Super Moderator, or How IBM Project Debater Could Save Social Media
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
October 16, 2020
-
Top 10 Chatbot Platforms
FEATURE | By Cynthia Harvey,
October 07, 2020
-
Finding a Career Path in AI
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Guest Author,
October 05, 2020
-
CIOs Discuss the Promise of AI and Data Science
FEATURE | By Guest Author,
September 25, 2020
-
Microsoft Is Building An AI Product That Could Predict The Future
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
September 25, 2020
-
Top 10 Machine Learning Companies 2021
FEATURE | By Cynthia Harvey,
September 22, 2020
-
NVIDIA and ARM: Massively Changing The AI Landscape
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By Rob Enderle,
September 18, 2020
-
Continuous Intelligence: Expert Discussion [Video and Podcast]
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By James Maguire,
September 14, 2020
-
Artificial Intelligence: Governance and Ethics [Video]
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | By James Maguire,
September 13, 2020
-
IBM Watson At The US Open: Showcasing The Power Of A Mature Enterprise-Class AI
FEATURE | By Rob Enderle,
September 11, 2020
-
Artificial Intelligence: Perception vs. Reality
FEATURE | By James Maguire,
September 09, 2020