Microsoft Opens a New ‘Window’

Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates unveiled a new, more Internet-friendly version of the No. 1 software maker’s Windows operating system, promising that it will unlock new potential for the personal computer. Microsoft, whose software already runs 90% of the world’s PCs, is adding features that make it easier to download music, process digital photos and use the Internet as it tries to lure consumers to buy new machines loaded with the software or to upgrade their systems. The company will start selling the new program, dubbed Windows XP, in the second half. Shares of Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft closed off 56 cents at $58.19 on Nasdaq.