Microsoft and the government had argued that the settlement they secretly crafted one year ago was sufficient. The agreement, which would last at least five years:
-- Prevents Microsoft from participating in exclusive deals that could hurt competitors;
-- Requires uniform contract terms for the manufacturers of computers;
-- Allows manufacturers and customers to remove icons for some Microsoft features;
-- Requires Microsoft to release some technical information so software developers can write programs for Windows that work as well as Microsoft's own products do.
Investors expected a far worse result for Microsoft, driving prices down in the hours before the judge disclosed her decisions. The stock rose slightly, closing at US$53, down US$0.47. It rose US$3.33, or 6 percent, in after-hours trading.
Microsoft's US$287.6 billion market value exceeds the gross domestic product of at least 150 nations.
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