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Microsoft woes aplenty October 1, 2007

Microsoft has also come under fire over the past week on a number of fronts.

Firstly it lost its antitrust appeal against the European Union meaning it will have to pay a fine of half a billion Euros, reveal the source code of its server-based operating system and offer Windows without a bundled Media Player.

Next the company had to listen to customer demand and extend the life of Windows XP until June 2008. It was originally going to stop selling XP next January but has been forced into an embarrassing u-turn because so many people don’t want Vista.

As if a perceived failure of its new operating system wasn’t enough, Microsoft is seeing a multi pronged attack on its chief cash cow, Office.

Google added the new Presentation software to its range of free online office applications. Whilst relatively rudimentary at this stage it offers an easy to use alternative to Powerpoint with added online collaboration options.

Then IBM announced its free office suite, Lotus Symphony, probably the most polished alternative to Microsoft Office out there.

Microsoft’s days at the top are looking ever more threatened.