At Consumer PC Level, Changes from Microsoft Case Will Be Subtle.(Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News)

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, April, 2000 by Husted, Bill

Apr. 4--While the earth shifted for Microsoft as a company with Monday's ruling, consumers should not expect immediate changes in how Windows -- Microsoft's most visible and important product -- works.

Nor will a walk down the aisles of the computer store be any different tomorrow. Any drastic changes in the marketplace would come after the penalty stage of the antitrust case, which will come, at the earliest, this summer. Even then, a lengthy appeal process is likely and could further delay things.

Keep in mind, too, that no one knows just what changes the courts might force Microsoft to make. That would be part of the penalty stage. But there are some likely scenarios that affect the consumer.

One of the key issues of the antitrust case was...

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