Windows Media Player N

After concerted wrangling between Microsoft and the European Commission, Microsoft has been forced to name its new releases of Windows without its media player as “Windows XP N”.

Microsoft last year lost a mammoth battle against EU over anti-trust issues, which specifically focussed on Microsoft’s restrictions on allowing competitors to develop software for the company’s Windows operating system.

By offering Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, the EU had found Microsoft guilty of using its monopoly to prevent rivals such as Netscape and Real Networks from being able to develop third party products for Windows.

After finally accepting the various decisions against them, Microsoft had been ordered to produce a version of Windows XP without its Windows Media Player, for installation on new computers.

As something of a marketing protest move, Microsoft had originally planned to rename this as “Windows XP Reduced Edition”. The EU has now forced Microsoft to accept the name “Windows XP N”.

Link: Windows Media Player N