Since about 2002, the Department of Justice has had a special “Technical Committee” overseeing the development of Microsoft’s Windows operating system. The committee’s main job was to monitor the implementation of the Microsoft-owned middleware products that get (or used to get) installed by default on new computers like Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, MSN Messenger, and Windows Media Player.
The monitoring process was supposed to end last November but, according to Microsoft Watch, “Google (and some other Microsoft competitors) requested an extension, and U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly gave it to them: two more years of government oversight.”
Which means that the Department of Justice has been closely monitoring the development of Windows 7, which is thought to ship by the end of next year (or early 2010 at the latest). With Windows Vista, however, Microsoft has already changed the way it handles middleware. Joe Wilcox of Microsoft Watch says…
“Today, with the exception of Internet Explorer, Microsoft is pushing the same so-called middleware down from Windows Live to the operating system. The ties are ever so strong, but the products and services aren’t part of Windows by default. But I don’t doubt that Microsoft executives would like them to be.
The TC reviewed Windows Vista, but its middleware assessment didn’t satisfy Google, which complained about search defaults. Google’s complaints led Microsoft to proactively change Vista search, action that partly precipitated the two-year extension of government oversight.”
Another big area of contention, according to Wilcox, will be Internet Explorer 8. The DoJ is already examining the browser’s beta version and "Microsoft is making a godawful amount of Internet Explorer changes and taking risks with application and Web site compatibility,” which could raise some red flags for companies that make competing web browsers. I’d think that future versions of Internet Explorer would be more tied into installed programs, especially as more and more software and services move into the cloud. Seems like such features would have to be compatible with other browsers as well if Microsoft’s competitors get their way.
Ok well if the middle ware is being unimplemented why is it that when vista or any other version updates and ie is uninstalled does it have the ie 7 update as being mandatory for system stability there is some information not included in the information provided please elaborate.
they’re all a bunch of nosey busy-bodies. i despise gov’ment meddling. and for Google to be talking with a ginormous online ad market share?! F*** them and f*** the DoJ, old powdered-wigged ludites!
Maybe some of those snoopers would be better used actually helping fill sandbags instead of their pockets?
Jon
http://dreamclue.com …get the message!
we all hope in the name of system sanity that windows 7 be a really good and stable operating system as well the last 32 bit one.its time to move on and microsoft has to come up with an operating system that is closelly connected with our brain because everything goes through the barin cells and as such a new architecture has to be devised which i call the forthcoming network of all brains on earth to be connected and operating as a single unified unit instead of today which are disconnected and very loosely in contact with each other due to the biological dispersion of the make with which we are come to life.all rolled into one once and for all, united we stand divided we fall.
the best way is to unleash a massive and well coordinated scientific operating system by all companies together because on their own they gonna come always with some freaky and not well working operating systems in continous and desperate need of patches and bug fixes.working together in a scientific way and putting the money in one pool for the common good the computer world would achieve the real thing which interconnecting the brain of all of us into a single unified operating system in real time always connected and dealing and working through all the problems that we can thing of in real time and without delays and no need of bugs and fixes because the foundations would be the biology of the brain cells themselves to create and unfold the operating system with outmost performance and the most benefit without need of money and power and glory and status of any kind.unity is the foundation of our network future for all of us.