Europe Could Strip Windows From PCs

Never mind the breathless "will be" in the headline at the previous link: One EU commission has merely suggested that PCs sold in Europe be stripped of Windows at the time of purchase. However, given Europe's hostility toward Microsoft and its history of antitrust rulings against MSFT, there's a good chance this could really happen, marking the first time since the pre-DOS days that computers have been sold on a large scale without an operating system chosen for you.

The issue at hand is more than just antitrust concerns but rather simple finance. By selling computers with a Windows preinstalled, consumers have no choice but to pay for it at the time of purchase. Yes, it can be uninstalled after it's bought, but the consumer doesn't receive a refund even if he never uses the OS. Since most vendors won't sell "bare" PCs (a frequent requirement of Microsoft, which has often mandated Windows be installed on all computers if a vendor wants to deal with them), the consumer is left with no choice in the matter. By forcing Windows to be sold without an operating system, the EU hopes to encourage competition in the space.

That's the theory, anyway. Presumably, in the end, most users will actually want Windows installed and will purchase a copy when they buy their computer... and presumably the vendor will install it for them as well. But I applaud the move toward more choice: Letting customers see just how much Windows costs vs. other alternatives (namely Linux) could finally lead to Microsoft bringing down its exorbitant prices and improving its own programs when faced with a head-to-head competitive scenario. Since the MacOS runs only on Mac hardware, the competitive threat just isn't the same.

We'll see where this goes and update the story as it develops.

LINK: Microsoft Windows Will Be Unbundled