Microsoft's browserless Windows 7 E gets EUthanized
By Tim Stevens 
posted August 3rd 2009 7:11AM
posted August 3rd 2009 7:11AM
[Via ComputerWorld]
posted August 3rd 2009 7:11AM
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No that would be fair.Plus there is also Android running chrome. Remember this is the EU we're talking about here...
Again, someone missed the concept here.
Computer vendors are allowed to bundle any OS of their choice with distribution of a new PC (or in your case, a netbook). It's just that Microsoft itself aren't allowed to bundle IE with their own OS (Win 7).
So, most likely, no matter the netbook u r purchasing is rocking on Windows or Ubuntu, it will being bundled with a browser.
I didn't miss the concept, I know its not about computer vendors, its about OS. It was an hypothetical question anyway, im not buying anything.
But the question is... IF the reason for all of this is MS harming the browser competition by including IE with Windows as the note states, then what makes Win7 including IE different from Ubuntu including Firefox or Mac OS X including Safari? They are all doing the same, so why is only MS targeted?
@Jose,
"I didn't miss the concept, I know its not about computer vendors, its about OS. It was an hypothetical question anyway, im not buying anything."
i'm just answering your question on "So if I buy a netbook in the EU that has Ubuntu preinstalled....". so looks like that's the best answer i can come up with.
"...IF the reason for all of this is MS harming the browser competition by including IE with Windows as the note states, then what makes Win7 including IE different from Ubuntu including Firefox or Mac OS X including Safari? They are all doing the same, so why is only MS targeted?"
i've already answered this kind of question on the earlier posts. u can check that on the 1st page of comments (or myb it has already shifted onto this page) as reposting them will be kinda redundant.
all i can sum up is that, u have to have a monopoly firsthand in order to abuse it. and as the marketshare of other OSes combined are still small compared to Windows, how in the world can they abuse the monopoly that they didn't even have?
and that's not all the explanation i've wrote. feel free to read them through.
99% of people could care less what browser they use. All it has to do is work. Only the true geeks amongst us even know or care about most of the features in modern browsers.
Next EU lawsuit will be because MS placed IE first in the choices....
And because Safari uses standards instead of braking the internets like IE does!
Boy o Boy... this will make so many customers angry... I was a former technical support phone technician in the second largest computer company (you guess it) and I can tell people don't like to make this type of choices at all, because they don't even understand what an internet browser is. I remember people who have indeed tried Firefox, but they go back to IE just because they are used to it, just like the windows vs Linux thing, so, after this people have installed other browser than internet explorer, most will be totally confused and I can see floods of people calling tech support because there is no blue "E" on their desktops.
Trust me, I tried to convince people of using Firefox, hundreds of times, but somehow people keeps going back to IE, I can't explain, it is just that they are used to it, with it's flaws and everything. Now, must of this people have never tried to install IE before, having to do so will be cumbersome. Some may actually think the new browser is actually one new windows 7 feature.
My belief is that who ever had an issue with IE already tried something else. And sure, this will negatively hit IE market share but is that what the EU wants?
BTW, I don't see that happening with OSX or any Linux distro, is this fair?
This is still stupid. The screen should come up no matter which browser the vendor installed. If the EU wants to be a bunch of fuc.king bit.ches, well then let's get picky:
Say a vendor installed Firefox, but I want Opera - Where's my ballot screen?
Say a vendor installed Safari, but I want IE - Where's my ballot screen?
I know, you can just go ahead and download it, but a user could have done that before when the OS came with IE, yet here we are with the EU being stupid as can be.
Check your facts before ranting.. It makes for a much less embarrassing life. The EU commission has enforced nothing yet.
This is Microsoft's proposal. Just as the no browser at all proposal was all Microsoft's work.
The Commission has not accepted it or rejected it yet. I don't think they have even officially commented.
Think about it before you try to put me down. It makes you look a lot less stupid.
I'm well aware the EU has not approved anything, but Microsoft has no control over what is displayed when a competing browser is first launched. Therefore, they have no way of allowing customers to choose a different browser than what a vendor installed unless it is IE. If part of what the EU wants is choice for the consumer, then the consumer is not getting a choice, rather, only IE is getting shafted. In other words, this is still stupid.
Europe rocks!
they should have that, but have a table for comparisons and they should recommend IE, that way more people will use their software
I don't know about this one. It's tough to decide. On the one hand, IE is crap, I mean it always crashes on me and now that I've updated to IE 8, it keeps on displaying a message that the script has stopped responding on the current page and do I want to terminate it or continue. Shit, if it's a problem, just terminate it, don't tell me about it. It's back to that UAC all over again. Annoying shit like that that's makes MS a pain in the ass to use. They integrate a lot of stuff into IE making it almost impossible to not have it, I still have many websites that require I use Internet Explorer. That is bs...why should I have to use IE only? So I understand how other browser feels. They really need to hire experts on how people interact with computers and what people want. People just want things to work without all that bullshit MS puts you through.
On the other hand.....some of the other browser are buggy too. It's like there's no one good broswer that does everything without a problem right now. I have to use multiple browser for my needs. I think whoever can get a browser that works on everything without a hitch then people will switch.
@Monkey with glasses
"Went and check em out and stuck with Firefox, what is stopping Europeans from doing the same? "
You're over estimating the average consumer in Europe and underestimating the effects of monopoly abuse by Microsoft has had on the quality of the Internet experience until Firefox started to gain some traction. See also @j.d.ripper. So, wake up and smell the coffee
Wow came on and suddenly thought i entered the school for the mentally challenged.
1. Most people WILL NOT know how to download a browser if there isn't already a browser installed. Go to any large corporation, work a little while there, you'll find people don't care jack squat about what browser is what. All they want is internet access, right NOW! Just because techies and geeks know what and how to do things and don't mind spending 5 minute to several hours doing something a normal person can do in 3 seconds does not mean everyone wants to do that.
The simple fact is, there is a minimum that is required for consumer grade OS and one of that requisite is a browser. You ALL know this. Why you're acting like little B*tcheez abt it is beyond silly. Maybe Levis and other trouser/jean/pants manufacturer should sell you trousers without buttons and zippers... you know... because it's freaking easy for you to find a brand of zipper and buttons you like so you can stitch it on yourself.
Or maybe cars should be sold without tyres, seats, or engines so you can buy it, drag the empty shell home and then source for the missing parts yourself.
Argueing for a consumer OS to be sold without a browser is just all kinds of stupid.
I tried to go to the address in the address bar of that screencap to no avail. Geesh, Microsoft, spoofing DNS entries, are we?
Wow. It must be really hard in Europe to install a different browser. I mean, how lazy can you possibly be? Just boot up IE and if you don't like it then install a different one....who's stopping you?
All right all you socialists and communists out there. Time to let out a big hooray! We've brought down the big American internet machine! I've read the comments on here a million times already. I'm a Windows, OS X and Linux user. I think this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. If Microsoft wasn't concerned about posting a profit in Europe, they'd tell the EU to go F*$!@ themselves. If you develop a user friendly, cost effective solution for home computing, and part of that solution includes a method of surfing the internet, then you by every right should be able to include YOUR solution in YOUR product. At the time that Windows caught on as the operating system of choice, MS was making all of the right moves and IT WAS the easiest computing option at the time. Just because others have caught up and surpassed MS on quality and innovation, doesn't mean MS should be forced to include their competitors products within their product. Look at OS X. There is a reason that Apple computers have consistently gained market share every year in the US and abroad. They are developing a superior product, and people HAVE a choice. If Opera/Mozilla/Google/Apple don't like that their browsers play second fiddle, continue to develop superior operating systems that make sense and the masses will follow. That's the price for showing up to the game late.
if you have no web browser, how do you get online to get one?
It comes with the software! Doing this is like getting an iphone with no apps!
I've just pre-ordered Win 7 Ultimate at amazon.co.uk.For strange reason,I'll be able to obtain no native language Windows for the first time.
So far it was not possible; I was forced to use pirate copy and activation key from the original non-english version.Thank you EU.
This is stupid because although I use Firefox as my default browser, sometimes I NEED to use IE because some sites work better or only work with IE. I would never uninstall IE and as mentioned before, most consumers don't care or know enough to use another browser.
And if there was no browser pre-installed on a new computer, how would people get on the internet to download a different browser?
Honestly if people care enough about their web browser than one of the first things they are going to do is got on IE and download it when they purchase a new computer. Why make people who know nothing about web browsers have to randomly make a ill informed decision like people do when voting for local politicians :/
What I think is funny is that a major OS release is being dictated by a browser that has less than a 1% market share(.3% i Believe). Just another example of a failing business trying to succeed in the courts. If you can't compete with your product than you need to get out of the arena.
The ballot was Operas Idea, and now that Microsoft has made this major concession, they are still not happy. Seriously, making them remove icons because it gives IE an unfair advantage. Maybe Pepsi should remove their logo from all cans and bottles so Coke can have a chance.
Pepsi/Coke=Microsoft/Apple
Hansons/Jones=Chrome/Opera
So, everyone get the same version of windows. Does this mean that the US will also have this option when installing?
You know this whole not including a browser with the OS thing had me wondering exactly how people were supposed to get a browser after a fresh install when they didn't have a browser to download a browser with? They would have had to either use another computer or grab IE via Windows Update (which is what most people would have done).
Kind of reminds me of the time I had to reformat the HD and restore my sisters PC from the restore disc it included. The disc was a very barebones copy of Windows that didn't even include drivers for half the hardware in the PC. Instead they directed you to use their web based updater to get all the latest versions of the drivers from their web site. Only problem was they didn't include ethernet drivers on the disc so we couldn't connect to the web to download the updates. Had to download the ethernet drivers on my Mac and burn them to a CD (tried using a flash drive first but they didn't include USB drivers either) in order to get the PC working again.
Windows can do a nice application for such task, for example to put a WGET interface or to put a application that install the browser using ftp.
I want Firefox to now unleash a solid marketing campaign to "Pick Firefox". I want to see ads telling people exactly how to pick it on that exact screen and explain to them the advantages. Screw IE.
So will Windows Update not be (anymore) an annoying activex plugins for iexplorer?
The transition from IE to Firefox for my parents was a breeze. I simply installed FF and changed the desktop icon to the IE icon. To this day they both think they are still using the same browser as before.
Now, if I can just get them to acknowledge there is a scroll-wheel between the mouse buttons.
Am I the only one frustrated by this? How in the blazes is the EU going to tell Microsoft, the creators and developers of Windows 7, to not include their internet browser in THEIR own OS. This is like telling Mercedes-Benz that they have to start including the option to install Honda engines because the average user can't swap it. This is asinine, if people want a new browser, they'll make the effort and install it themselves! (Like everyone here already using anything but IE7 & 8) And just like others have wisely pointed out, why isn't Apple or Linux getting multi-million dollar fines thrown at them. I'm yelling shenanigans on the EU! Check their bank accounts!!! (Even the cayman island off-shore accounts!)
And if you don't think european's are capable of EXTREME and Ridiculous corruption, then I guess you never heard of that lolita-chasing Italian president.
IE comes first on that list -- EU won't like that.
I'm hyped about Browser 6, because it has [20 word description here]!
I like that anti-anti-competitive efforts like this can exist in the EU.
If Microsoft's anti-competitive behaviour in the Web Browser arena can have action like this taken against it, what about the anti-competitive behaviour of OEMs only offering computers with Windows installed?
Might Europeans one day turn on their PC for the first time and get a ballot that tells them about alternatives to Windows?
I don't see why Microsoft isn't allowed to publish whatever they want with THEIR software. This is a joke. EU needs to STFU and stop micromanaging businesses.
Maybe, when you first install Windows, a screen should come up: Do You Want To Install: Windows, Various Linux Distros, or Return This Computer for a Mac
This is tongue in cheek of course, but should the big companies really have to tell everyone about about their competitors and give reasons why their better?
I personally was one of the ones wanting a IEless Windows. I dislike IE, and would rather it not be on one of my computers, due to the security issues it has. Especially since some of my machines require windows, and a net connection, but aren't used to surf the web.
I have recently placed pre orders for three copies of Windows 7 E at a discounted price (£44.97 delivered) to put on my laptop and two desktop PCs. What's going to happen now to my order?
I have looked all over the internet for an answer to this and cannot find one. I spoke to Dixons yesterday and they didn't know of any plans by MS to dump Windows 7E.
I have recently placed pre orders for three copies of Windows 7 E at a discounted price (£44.97 delivered) to put on my laptop and two desktop PCs. What's going to happen now to my order?
I have looked all over the internet for an answer to this and cannot find one. I spoke to Dixons yesterday and they didn't know of any plans by MS to dump Windows 7E.
I have just found an answer to my question here: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/265027/at-last-microsoft-confirms-windows-7-upgrades-for-uk.html
So looks like it might be OK
Why can't people install multiple browsers themselves? I like choice. My grandma has multiple browsers she's installed herself--she's 70 and from Kentucky. As much as they're mocked here, I guess even old southerners are more intelligent than most Europeans; the European Commission just verified this.
Macs don't have IE installed on them (yet safari is on the PC). I'm a proud owner of a Mac but I think if Microsoft is being bullied to add all browsers then all other manufacturers should be required to include different web browsers in their OS.
"Internet Explorer 8- Making your web even better..."
"Firefox 3- Can a browser really make the web better?"
Hardly playing nice..
The Opera description is as bloated as the browser.