Microsoft agrees to Vista search changes

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 20 June 2007 12:15

Business IT - Technology

Microsoft will alter Windows Vista to allow users to more easily use third-party desktop search programs such as Google Desktop.

The concession comes as a response to Google's complaint under the 2002 consent decree that ended the US government's antitrust action against Microsoft.

Although a Federal assistant attorney general had discouraged state attorneys general from acting on Google's complaint, it seems his intervention fell on deaf ears.

Desktop search software allows users to find documents on their hard drives that contain particular information, just as a search engine locates information on the web. Part of Google's complaint was that having two separate indexing functions running in parallel saps the performance of a PC, and there was no provision in Vista to easily disable Vista's built-in search function.

In addition to accommodating alternative desktop search tools (as it already does with web browsers, for example), Microsoft has agreed to provide outside developers with the technical information required to optimise the performance of their desktop search software.

The changes will reportedly (Reuters) be part of Vista Service Pack 1, which is expected by the end of the year.

The new feature will allow PC vendors (not just users) to configure the default search tool. This opens the possibility of 'bidding wars' between Microsoft, Google and other search vendors to have their particular program set as the default on systems from large vendors such as HP and Dell.

It seems the proposed changes will not allow a user to completely swap out Vista's search tool in favour of one provided by an independent developer. The standard tool will remain in place, but Microsoft will provide links to - and a Start menu item for - other search tools. This implies that the performance problems caused by two indexing engines may remain.

The Associated Press  quotes David Drummond, Google's chief legal officer as saying "Microsoft's current approach to Vista desktop search clearly violates the consent decree and limits consumer choice."

"These remedies are a step in the right direction, but they should be improved further to give consumers greater access to alternate desktop search providers."

While Microsoft has agreed the changes with the federal and state governments, the deal still needs the approval of judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who oversees the consent decree. The next hearing is scheduled for June 26.