Microsoft to strip Internet Explorer from Windows 7 in Europe
Microsoft announced on Thursday that it will sell a European version of Windows 7 sans Internet Explorer. The decision to ship these specialized “E” versions of Windows 7 arises from a January decision by the European Commission that determined the inclusion of Internet Explorer in Windows violated European competition law. The new E versions will be available in 23 different languages and are projected to launch at the same time as regular versions of Windows 7. One side benefit of this “un-bundling” is that computer manufacturers will be able to install their browser of choice on Windows 7 systems. Mozilla, Opera, Google; get to courting… Hooray for fair business practice, umm, if that’s what this is.
Sign me up for that version.
sounds like a PITA..
you buy a new computer, and have no browser to download the browser of your choice..
That’s what I’m thinking I guess you can now purchase at the European equivalent of Best Buy the browser of your choice. This sounds profitable.
What if the manufacturer install IE?
Blah Safari Suxs….I recently downloaded it for new version Safari 4 found out half the sites I went didn’t load properly or couldn’t chat. IE baby!
Not hating or anything since I have Macs only, but how would that turn out with the upcoming Snow Leopard? Safari is put on there from the get-go. Wouldn’t it be the same case, and if not, isn’t it a double standard? I just think that some laws are getting too damn stupid. The same can be said about Linux. You have KDE and Gnome, and they have their own browsers. I agree with Joe, how the hell will you install a browser without a browser? Windows Explorer maybe? I really wonder who is the brains around anything with fairness in mind? Next thing you know, it won’t be fair to be fair.
I wonder if that means that Apple will not be able to include Safari on the European version of Snow Leopard.
My thoughts exactly. If Windows can’t include IE with Windows 7, Apple shouldn’t be able to include Safari in OS X.
why don’t just include IE installation files on installation CD?
this lets customers to install IE or not
Is it just me, or are there always the obligatory ”windoze sux” feelings everywhere for no apparent reason?
No IE in windows? Hooray…. oh wait, how am I going to go to firefox.com to download if I don’t have IE?
yea.. the article could say ms sponsors youth softball and the fanboys would say apple is better they would have done baseball
So why does Safari ship with Mac OS X?
@Jeremiah, Safari on a Mac and IE on windows are verry different, one example, A mac user can download Firefox and delete safari if they wish on a mac, Windows on the other hand, you can’t get rid of IE cause it’s embedded to the core of the OS and that my friend is how 80% the time your machine gets attack. Believe it or not this is good cause the minute IE gets compromise you can just get rid of it, i think they should keep adding it to new machines i just don’t like how it’s part of the Core OS.
EU to the consumers: please go on-line to download the browser of your choice using, using, using… Oh, hell, you’ll figure out how to get online.
A good question was asked here – does it mean Apple should remove Safari? Sounds like a fair statement to me.
Please make sure Safari is not included on iPhone too. It seems mighty monopolistic that 100% of iPhones use Apple’s browser and not the competition.
@keymaker,
All you have to do is to open “Control Pannel – Remove Programs – Windows Components” and deselect EI. It’s that easy to get rid of EI from your Windows machine.
I think it may have to do with Microsoft licensing the OS to 3rd parties, which Apple doesn’t do?
@marco r, Cause how the heck are you gonna download your favorite browser if you machines doesn’t come with one, after that you can delete Safari and not see it again, try deleting IE, see what happens.
take out the disk defragmenter and firewall while you are at it too. i know i want my default browser to be Opera because dell or hp got money to make it so? and lets make apple take Quicktime out of macs!! yeah!!
you are all fools!
@Wee, Try it see what happens? LOL. You might be able to delete a shortcut to IE but no way in hell you can get rid of IE on a windows machine and have windows running again. IE is part of the entire OS.
I’m sure it’ll come with a link on the desktop that looks like IE, and when clicked upon, will install IE. Technically it might not be installed, but don’t believe the hype; it WILL be there, just not pre-installed.
Doesn’t anyone know how to FTP from the cmd window anymore? You don’t need IE to download firefox..
This is just stupid. This is a Microsoft OS, why should they be allowed to put a browser on it?
This is just stupid. This is a Microsoft OS, why shouldn’t they be allowed to put a browser on it?
Zap, Shhhhh…. They’ll end up banning FTP with CMD Window. And I’m not Windows bashing really, since my thought was on the double standard issue. Everyone that’s a tech knows Windows IE is the core of Windows Explorer, but Safari has a lil bit of coreness to OSX as well, but it’s not as much. As far as the iPod/iPhone, it’s true that 100% of the devices (unjailbroken) gives you no choice of a browser. Windows Mobile has a few choices, but IEm is installed by default. Hence, my thought on stupid ass laws that make no sense. It’s kind of like the prop 8 deal in California; even if gay marriage is banned, you have to keep fighting til it’s passed. Bottom line, close loop holes to stop the stupid suits.