Windows 7 thorough testing

Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system will be studied more thoroughly than originally intended for compliance with the US' antitrust settlement from 2002, according to a Tuesday report. Microsoft has submitted 30 new and 87 revised technical documents to a three-member panel of state-appointed computer experts in December that have increased the scrutiny over the company's upcoming release. The panel has been checking over the software system since at least March, Microsoft says, and the new documents highlight changes to its protocols.

This move from Microsoft follows the launch of civil action by 17 states and the District of Columbia asking Microsoft to produce the information for a US District court. The panel wants Microsoft to ensure protocols will allow other developers to write software that would be compatible with Windows clients and servers and take advantage of the same features.

Because of the number of new documents, the committee will change its regular operating methods to directly review the documents to identify any issues, the latest status report says.

The 2002 decision accused Microsoft of relying on undocumented or otherwise hidden code to let its own software work more effectively in Windows than for competitors. It also requires that the software house let users and PC makers alike more easily change the default web browser in Windows to something beyond Internet Explorer, though this was addressed with Windows XP Service Pack 2.

By Electronista Staff