Microsoft To Change Vista Search Engine

Alterations Come After Google Complains That Operating System Monopolizes Desktop Search

(AP) 
Microsoft said it expects these changes to be available with its first service pack for Vista, putting to rest speculation among Microsoft watchers that the company would do away with its practice of catchall software upgrades. The software maker plans to release an early version of Service Pack 1 by the end of the year.

"We're pleased we were able to reach an agreement with all the states and the Justice Department that addresses their concerns so that everyone can move forward," Microsoft's Smith said in a statement.

Federal regulators worked with 17 U.S. states, also parties to the antitrust case against Microsoft, to nail down the details of the compromise.

"This agreement, while not perfect, is a positive step toward greater competition in the software industry," California Attorney General Jerry Brown said in a statement.

In the report, regulators also said Microsoft's work to improve technical documentation for software licensees continues on schedule, and that they are "encouraged by the quality of the new documents."

A hearing to review Microsoft's adherence with the consent decree is scheduled for June 26 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Google's complaint came just a few days after Microsoft called for antitrust regulators to scrutinize the search company's planned $3.1 billion acquisition of online ad service DoubleClick Inc.

These recent moves are part of a broader battle between the two. While Windows continues to dominate the desktop operating system market, Google's ability to make money from search advertising has left Microsoft scrambling to catch up. Google has also stepped into traditional Microsoft territory in the past year with a set of free, Web-based programs for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations.

[michellem99-2009]

I love Home XP thank you. I don't like what I have read about Vista. Oh, it is pretty but that not it with me. I hate it. I am not willing to give up XP. They could not give it to me. Vista does for less then XP. What was the boys and girls at Microsoft thinking when they put together Vista. Lazy parents..I want to use the engines that I want,Google,Yahoo,MSN,Ask. I have them installed.They each are different. I am 52. What I have on computer won't run on Vista and they don't have the bugs worked out. They ought to dump Vista....I have an XP library. I have 6 books on Vista....I hate outlook express..

Would this be the first service pack? And just pray tell how large will this file be? In most cases for WinXP the service pack file is nearly the same size as the install files? Nothing like re-installing your OS again