Microsoft: Windows doesn't favor
Yahoo | at | by Mike
Two Microsoft executives on Monday brushed aside allegations from rival RealNetworks that Microsoft uses its Windows operating system to gain an unfair advantage in music player programs. Richards objected to the "media bar" in Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 Web browser, which can appear if a user clicks on a music file on a Web page. The media bar contains Microsoft's player. "The IE6 media bar is an integrated feature of IE6 that provides user value," Averett said. "As such, it is not replaceable by third parties." Averett said it is possible for RealNetworks to create its own media bar.
Microsoft says that if the media player was removed, the broad scope of the states' proposals would mean that Windows would not be able to play any sound or video at all - which would break many multimedia programs.