International Outlook: GLOBAL WRAPUP

EUROS CHALLENGE MICROSOFT

-- Germany's largest PC maker, Vobis Microcomputer, is trying to break Microsoft Corp.'s lock on the market for personal-computer operating software. Some smaller European computer makers are following suit. Frustrated by Microsoft's aggressive licensing tactics, Vobis recently began shipping all of its PCs with IBM's OS/2 Warp operating system in addition to Microsoft's dominant Windows. Vobis CEO Theo Lieven aims to flood the market with OS/2 systems to encourage software developers to write programs for it. The hope is that computer buyers and PC makers will feel they have a choice between the two operating systems.EDITED BY STANLEY REED