"N" for "not with WMP"

The AP is now reporting MSFT and EU officials have agreed to use the "N" designation on the modified version of Windows without Windows Media Player. Apparently, this satisfies EU officials enough since the disincentive associated with purchasing version "N" is now less obvious. Even MSFT's top lawyer in Europe has his misgivings about the new name:

We fear it may cause confusion for consumers buying the product, but we will adopt the commission's name in order to move forward and accelerate the pace of the implementation process.

--Horacio Gutierrez