Microsoft says it’s willing to put a "ballot screen" into Windows 7 to let European consumers choose from among several competing web browsers as the default in the operating system. The concession is aimed at resolving an antitrust complaint filed against the company in Europe by Opera Software over the bundling of Internet Explorer in Windows.

"European consumers who buy a new Windows PC with Internet Explorer set as their default browser would be shown a ‘ballot screen’ from which they could, if they wished, easily install competing browsers from the Web," said Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith in a statement. "If this proposal is ultimately accepted, Microsoft will ship Windows in Europe with the full functionality available in the rest of the world."

In that way, the new proposal would replace Microsoft’s previous plan to offer a version of Windows 7 in Europe without Internet Explorer. Microsoft said it will soon publish the full text of the proposal online as soon as possible.

The proposal represents a possible breakthrough in the European case, which is the latest to challenge Microsoft’s practice of bundling Internet Explorer with the dominant Windows operating system. Rivals contend that the practice gives Internet Explorer an unfair advantage.

The European Commission said in a news release that it welcomes the proposal and "will now investigate its practical effectiveness in terms of ensuring genuine consumer choice."

"This is a very encouraging step," said Hakon Wium Lie, chief technology officer at Oslo, Norway-based Opera Software, in a phone interview. "It’s a happy day for us around here."

Although Windows 7 has been finished, in preparation for Oct. 22 release, the ballot screen could be implemented via the operating system’s automatic updating feature, Lie said.

He noted that the effectiveness will depend on how the ballot screen is presented. Among other things, Opera would prefer that the ballot screen not show the logos of different browsers. Because Microsoft has bundled Internet Explorer with Windows for so long, Lie said, many consumers see the blue IE logo as a generic symbol for accessing the Internet, possibly making them more likely to choose it over the logos of rival browser vendors.

In addition to the ballot screen, Microsoft’s Smith said the company’s proposal "also includes a public undertaking designed to promote interoperability between third party products and a number of Microsoft products, including Windows, Windows Server, Office, Exchange, and SharePoint."

The interoperability steps would apply globally, a Microsoft spokesman said, but the browser ballot screen would be limited to copies of Windows 7 distributed in Europe.

"We believe that if ultimately accepted, this proposal will fully address the European competition law issues relating to the inclusion of Internet Explorer in Windows and interoperability with our high-volume products," Smith said. "This would mark a big step forward in addressing a decade of legal issues and would be good news for European consumers and our partners in the industry."

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and Microsoft alters ad that sparked complaint from Apple lawyers  

Microsoft has altered one of its popular "Laptop Hunters" advertisements after Apple complained that it misrepresented the new, lower pricing on its Macs.

AdAge reports that the new ad — featuring "Lauren and mom" – doesn’t mention the price of the Mac anymore. 

The change in ad copy comes nine days after Microsoft chief operating officer Kevin Turner bragged at a conference that Apple’s lawyers had contacted him and complained that the ad no longer reflected the lower price on its Mac. Turner said at the time:

And you know why I know they’re working? Because two weeks ago we got a call from the Apple legal department saying, hey — this is a true story — saying, "Hey, you need to stop running those ads, we lowered our prices." They took like $100 off or something. It was the greatest single phone call in the history that I’ve ever taken in business. (Applause.)

I did cartwheels down the hallway. At first I said, "Is this a joke? Who are you?" Not understanding what an opportunity. And so we’re just going to keep running them and running them and running them.

In the original ad, Lauren picks up a Mac and says: "This Mac is $2,000, and that’s before adding anything." That has now been changed to Lauren saying: "It seems like you’re paying a lot for the brand."

The "Laptop Hunters" campaign is supposed to be filmed in reality TV style, capturing shoppers as they peruse the laptop aisles of retail stores. So, changing the ad copy does present some interesting challenges.

"We slightly adjusted the ads to reflect the updated pricing of the Mac laptop shown in the TV advertisement," Microsoft said in a statement. "This does not change the focus of the campaign which is to showcase the value and choice of the PC."

Here’s a look at the new ad:

 

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and Report: Is this the first look inside the Microsoft store experience?  

We’ve been trying to track down details on Microsoft’s new chain of retail stores — including design plans, images and locations –  for a few weeks now. We’ve gotten some clues on where they’re headed with the concept, especially after the company hired former Apple real estate chief George Blankenship as a consultant.

That drove some speculation that Microsoft may copy the Apple store idea — complete with demo stations and a Genius Bar knock-off.

Now, thanks to Gizmodo we may be getting a better picture of what the Microsoft retail experience will entail. Gizmodo today published a leaked PowerPoint presentation from the design firm Lippicott, which shows a Microsoft store mockup that includes a large digital media wall that wraps around the store, demo areas for the Microsoft Surface and a so-called "Answers Bar" or "Guru Bar."

You also can apparently schedule birthday parties at the store. And there are even special shopping bags, described in the slides as "iconic expressions of the store experience and identity."

We’ve not been able to confirm — nor has Gizmodo for that matter — whether these drawings are the real deal or not. Check out the 54-slide Powerpoint, and let us know what you think and whether you’d shop there.

Gizmodo’s Matt Buchanan seems convinced, writing that the new store is "going to make the Apple Store look downright boring."

UPDATE: A Tweet from the official Microsoft Twitter account appears to confirm the legitimacy of the documents, though it says they are "early store concepts, no final decisions made."

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Bill Gates tells why he pulled the plug on his Facebook page  

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates covered a lot of ground in a talk Friday in New Delhi India, discussing immigration policies, health records and the impact of the economic recession on innovation.

And — on a lighter note — he also explained why he canceled his Facebook account. The problem? Too many friend requests.

Gates said that he spent too much time trying to figure out whether to accept someone as a friend or not.

“Do I know them? Don’t I know them? I had to give it up,” Gates said. In fact, the software magnate — who admitted to not being a big texter or a "24-hour technology person" – said the new communications tools could simply "let us waste our time if we’re not careful.”

Obviously, given those statements, it could be a little while before Mr. Gates jumps on Twitter.

For more on Gates’ talk — including his thoughts on immigration — check out The New York Times story.

And while Gates may not have time for Facebook or text messaging, he does have time to blog. In a blog post for Gizmodo today titled "My 1979 Memories," the software pioneer describes what it was like trying to build a high-tech company in 1979. He also writes about the nervousness he felt 30 years ago of doubling the workforce to — get this — 28 employees.

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