“Microsoft was dealt a nasty blow by the European Court of First
Instance this week. The court backed the European Commission’s
ruling in 2004 that the software group abused its near-monopoly in
personal computers to stymie competitors.“Not only does Microsoft face the reinforced threat of fines if
it fails to obey the Commission’s orders, but also the latter may
try to cramp Windows Vista, the latest version of the operating
software that Microsoft originally produced in an effort to rival
the graphical user interface pioneered by Apple. Neelie Kroes, the
competition commissioner, says she would like Windows’ market share
to fall from more than 90 per cent to nearer 50 per cent…”