Microsoft is planning on shipping a version of Windows 7 to Europe that will not include Internet Explorer. According to News.com, Microsoft’s newest proposal is to offer a version of Windows 7 which strips out Internet Explorer (IE) 8. Not hides it — like is currently possible via a “remove features” capability. The Softies are proposing to sell a separate version, designated Windows 7 E which doesn’t include a browser in it at all. Sources close to Microsoft confirmed that Microsoft has been notifying PC makers of its intention to field Windows 7 E in the European Union as a way to comply with antitrust regulations there. Microsoft added the “Remove IE” switch to Windows 7 a few months ago. IE was just one of a number of “removable” features in the Release Candidate build of Windows 7, which Microsoft made available to testers in late April. The full list of user-removable Windows 7 features (in addition to ones that already may be “deselected” in Vista) include: * Windows Media Player * Windows Media Center * Windows DVD Maker * Internet Explorer 8 * Windows Search * Handwriting Recognition (through the Tablet PC Components option) * Windows Gadget Platform * Fax and Scan * XPS Viewer and Services (including the Virtual Print Driver)
Very nice step. From my experience, had to remove and reinstall IE8 on Vista, cause it refused to launch anymore at one point with some weird error. Had to remove and reinstall IE8 on Server 2003 after it began to suddenly refresh page on WU whenever i marked/unmarked checkboxes of updates. Enough for me to like FF even more. I think,without IE, WMP and all other crap, Win7 Starter E or HomeBasic E are going to be the cleanest graphic OS, MS had ever made!
I couldn't agree more. For me what's also very annoying, is even when you've set another browser as your default, clicking on a link in another program (pdf for example) it opens IE anyway.