Anti-MS Group not happy with WinXP SP1
C|Net | at | by Mike
A computer-industry trade group took a shot at Microsoft's credibility Wednesday, alleging that the recently released Windows XP Service Pack 1 violates the software giant's pending antitrust settlement. In a 12-page letter sent to Assistant Attorney General Charles James and to Elliot Spitzer, New York's attorney general, ProComp, a group partially funded by Microsoft competitors, charged the company with "at least six separate and ongoing violations" of one section of the proposed agreement.
Microsoft, however, took issue with the group's claims. "We had a whole beta process for Service Pack 1 where we sought and received feedback from industry and government," said Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler. "It's unfortunate, by hardly surprising, that this group, which is backed by our competitors, chose to play politics rather than participate in the process." Regarding the ease with which consumers can get their hands on Service Pack 1, Desler said, "SP1 is a critical update. In addition to Set Program Access and Defaults, SP1 contains critical security updates and other things. It's easily available and in wide distribution."