The European Commission has slapped Microsoft on the wrist about its proposed name for the Windows version without Windows Media Player, that the company will ship in Europe as mandated by the commission. Microsoft proposed to call its mutilated baby "Windows XP Reduced Media Edition", but the European commission in all its wishdom has decided that might scare away consumers. A new name hasn't been revealed yet.

By telling the consumer what isn't in the box, Microsoft is opening interesting new perspectives on the world. Instead of prohibiting the new name for the European Win XP, the commission could have forced Microsoft to come clean about what else isn't in its software.

For regular Windows XP I had the following in mind: Windows XP Reduced Security Edition.

Other suggestions will be considered. Please leave them in the comments section below and we'll make sure a printout of this page reaches Redmond.

31 Jan 2005