Ruling to change PC retailing

A landmark ruling in France will force all PC retailers in the country to display the price of the computer and any software installed on it separately.

However, the consumer group that brought the case against Kesa-owned Darty, UFC-Que Choisir, were unhappy that the ruling fell short of forcing firms to sell the operating system and PC separately.

Saying that it would appeal the case, UFC-Que Choisir said that it would continue to fight retailers in the courts until it won and consumers could buy the PC and operating system separately.

"The real interest of consumers is in their power to choose between a computer with preinstalled software, or a bare computer, given their preference may change with time, and according to their needs and the available equipment," a spokesperson for the group said.

However, the judge disagreed, saying it was in the consumers interest for an operating system to be installed, citing that very few customers would know how to install something of its complexity with ease.

If successful, the case could have major implications – not just for Microsoft – but also for Apple.

Source: NetworkWorld