Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) receives statement of objections The EC

The European Commission has sent the world's largest software company, Microsoft Corporation(NASDAQ:MSFT) , a statement of objections pertaining to its failure to provide users with a choice of web browsers.

Microsoft had said that it would comply with this commitment after the Commission had made it legally binding on the company. The statement of objections sent by the Commission does not prejudice the final outcome of the investigations by the regulator.

According to a release by the commission -it takes the preliminary view that Microsoft has failed to roll out the browser choice screen with its Windows 7 Service Pack 1, which was released in February 2011. From February 2011 until July 2012, millions of Windows users in the EU may not have seen the choice screen. Microsoft has acknowledged that the choice screen was not displayed during that period.

In January 2009, the Commission sent Microsoft a Statement of Objections, outlining its preliminary view that the company abused its dominant position in the market for client PC operating systems through the tying of Internet Explorer to Windows.

In December 2009, the Commission made it legally binding on Microsoft the commitments offered by the company to address competition concerns related to the tying of Microsoft's web browser, Internet Explorer, to its dominant client PC operating system Windows.

In a separate development tech watchers feel that Microsoft's Surface tablet could be an adequate replacement for laptops but cannot compete with Apple's iOS operating system.

Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal noted that the Surface tablet was historic in terms of being the first personal computer to be built by Microsoft.

While the main selling point of the Surface was its unique snap-on keyboards, they could be used only on a flat surface and not on a lap.

The key issue with the tablet was its battery life which he termed as mediocre.

"Microsoft's Surface is a tablet with some pluses: The major Office apps and nice optional keyboards," Mossberg concluded. "If you can live with its tiny number of third-party apps and somewhat disappointing battery life, it may give you the productivity you miss in other tablets."