Russkies to Microsoft: Vista, Nyet; XP, Da!
- TAGS:anti-trust, Microsoft, Russia, Vista, XP
- IT TOPICS:Applications, Government & Regulation, Operating Systems, Windows
If Microsoft hasn't had enough problems trying to get users to upgrade to Vista from XP, the Russian government has forced the company to allow users to trade in copies of Vista for XP, even though Microsoft has largely discontinued the old operating system in the country.
Computerworld's Gregg Keizer reports that Russia dropped an anti-trust investigation into Microsoft's retiring of XP, after Microsoft and Russian regulators agreed on a deal to allow Vista users to trade in copies of Vista Home Basic or Vista Home Premium for Windows XP Home.
The investigation was kicked off when the Russian government accused Microsoft, in the words of Keizer, of "abusing its market-dominant position in the operating system business by pulling Windows XP from retail...forcing users to buy Vista despite continued demand for XP."
Netbook makers can still offer XP in Russia, another reason the probe was dropped.
As I've written before, in Microsoft's biggest enemies: Windows XP and IE 6, XP's continuing success is a thorn in Microsoft's side, and the Russian agreement is just one more example of that. When people stay with XP, they don't pay upgrade fees, or buy new PCs with new versions of Windows. Microsoft loses out on plenty of revenue.
The deal with Russia, though, isn't a bad compromise for Microsoft. It lasts only until the end of the year, and for now doesn't seem to cover Windows 7. So it appears as if Microsoft outwitted the Russkies on this one.
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