Hotmail users here out of luck

Microsoft defended its refusal to increase the amount of storage in its Web-based e-mail program for Korean users, even as it raises the limit in other countries. In a press release Wednesday, Microsoft said that Korean subscribers of Hotmail program get only 2 megabytes of memory, even though people in other nations get 250, because there are fewer users here and the online ad market is smaller. It didn’t reveal the number of Korean Hotmail users, although some industry insiders said Koreans hold about 6 million accounts. Microsoft also announced that it will soon “adjust” prices of its Windows XP Pro software here, which are about 43 percent higher than in the United States. Earlier this month, the Korea Program Deliberation and Mediation Committee issued a report accusing Microsoft of overcharging Koreans. Also on Wednesday, Microsoft Korea brought in its Asia-Pacific legal adviser, Thomas Robertson, to testify before Korea’s Fair Trade Commission in Real Networks’ antitrust lawsuit to stop Microsoft from bundling its media player with the XP operation system. He argued that the Windows Media Player was an integral part of XP and that deleting the application may prevent music and video files from playing. by Wohn Dong-hee