It looks obvious

Microsoft is facing a serious decision: is it going after the short term revenue or its betting for the long term. It might be reasonable, if you accepting the assumption that the future will not include a dominant operating system like windows, to gamble on the short term. Gamble for the long term is also very risky, you always know how you are getting into a war but only rarely how it will end up.

However if Microsoft will not accept the EU ultimatum, and will declare that the only one to decide if vista is a good product as its offer are the consumer can very interesting. If Microsoft believes that they are offering the best product they shouldn’t give up. I am not sure that the European public will supports decision to prevent them from using the new version of Windows.

It wasn’t tested, but Microsoft with its pile of money can take the risk. Let the consumers decide not the bureaucrats. If the product isn’t worth the battle, maybe it isn’t worth selling?

Link: EU Warns Microsoft Over Vista

BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top antitrust regulator has sent a letter to Microsoft Corp., warning the company that it won’t be allowed to sell its new Windows Vista operating system in Europe if it comes prepackaged with certain features.

"We expect that Microsoft will design Vista in a way which is in line with the European competition laws," Neelie Kroes, the EU’s antitrust commissioner, said in an interview. "It would be rather stupid to design something that is not."