Way to go: Microsoft tweaks EU, EU tweaks back
WinInfo | at | by Mike
The problem is the new product's name. In a clear bid to meet the letter of the EU sanctions but not their spirit, Microsoft decided to name the WMP-less Windows version Windows XP Reduced Media Edition. Seriously. Predictably, the EU wasn't amused. Noting that consumers would be less inclined to choose such a product because of its name, the EU said last week that Microsoft was essentially sidestepping its complaint: By providing a version of Windows that sounds less desirable, Microsoft wasn't meeting the EU requirements because the sanctions require that Microsoft not do anything to make the new product more difficult for consumers to purchase.