Windows 7 shipped without IE in Europe

**JJonas** · 12th June 2009, 12:00 PM

BBC NEWS | Technology | No IE onboard Windows 7 in Europe

**ChrisC** · 12th June 2009, 12:34 PM

How will people download a browser without a browser!?

"Oh yes, well download the redistributable onto a memory stick and then....." Poor poor people without a clue are going to struggle.

"My computer came without the internet! ARGH!"

Chris

**webman** · 12th June 2009, 12:40 PM

My guess is MS will give incentives to OEMs to install IE as a "third party" app.

**ChrisC** · 12th June 2009, 12:41 PM

I heard that the EC preemptively told microsoft that they can't do that...

Chris

**srochford** · 12th June 2009, 01:08 PM

Would be pretty easy for MS to stick an icon on the start menu or in the programs bit of control panel which just went and fetched IE off the web - you don't need a browser installed to do that (pretty sure they can't take out BITS so that's nicely ready to do the actual transfer)

If they also added options to install (say) Firefox, Safari and Chrome then they're pretty much avoiding accusations of forcing people to use IE (although I'd guess they could still have a big shiny icon for IE saying "get on the web the nice way" and grim miserable icons for the others :-))

**ICTNUT** · 12th June 2009, 01:26 PM

It's easy really:

1 - Get new windows 7 pc
2 - Unbox it, plug it in, start it up, connect to the internet
3 - Prompted for windows updates
4 - Down comes IE8

All done

**jamesb** · 12th June 2009, 01:35 PM

And in towns where there's only a Starbucks they should have to provide other brands of coffee!

**Jamo** · 12th June 2009, 01:56 PM

Doesn't this mean that Apple should unlock the iPhone from iTunes? Or allow MacOSx on other computers bar their own?

I dont see the issue with MS including IE. For PC noobs its gonna be difficult to know where to go to get the things they are used to!!

**SYNACK** · 12th June 2009, 02:26 PM

The Opera browser people wined to the EU, the EU started to investigate ang get out its usual ticket book so MS pulled the browser. This means no direct upgrade path (clean install only) from xp/vista to 7 apparently. MS will provide free cds at retailers with new retail 7 copies and possibly an FTP link in the OS.

Now Opera is wingeing again as their plan to get bundled failed and that they can't be expected to work on the level playing field that they wanted by providing cds or working with OEMs.

Who wins, loses with browser-less Windows 7 | Beyond Binary - CNET News
Opera lashes out over Microsoft's browser removal | Beyond Binary - CNET News

**jamesb** · 12th June 2009, 02:31 PM

Who wants to bet Microsoft start pouring out IE CDs like the old AOL ones that used to come through the door? Can't complain about a monopoly then, after all, any other browser manufacturer could do the same thing.

**localzuk** · 12th June 2009, 02:53 PM

Well, I think removing it is a good idea myself. They did leverage their monopoly to gain market dominance in the internet browser market, for example killing Netscape, and they still haven't changed their ways since then.

Personally, I don't see any issue with MS providing a simple application on initial boot which links to a web service which lists any browsers which care to list themselves on it - like the search box in IE does when you do a custom setup of it.

Then it'd be up to other browser makers to put them on the web service. Then, make them list in alphabetical order too, and voila. An anti-trust proof browser bundle.