[ubuntu-uk] No IE in Windows 7

[Matthew Wild]

On Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 1:28 PM, Rob Beard<rob at esdelle.co.uk> wrote:
> Alan Lord (News) wrote:
>> On 12/06/09 12:20, Alan Pope wrote:
>>
>>> 2009/6/12 Sean Miller<sean at seanmiller.net>:
>>>
>>>> "European buyers of Windows 7 will have to download and install a web
>>>> browser for themselves. Bowing to European competition rules,
>>>> Microsoft Windows 7 will ship without Internet Explorer *snip"
>>>>
>>>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8096701.stm
>>>>
>>>> That could be quite a turning point in the browser wars.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> As far as I understand it, the vast majority of people obtain windows
>>> as a pre-installation on a new computer. Most don't install it
>>> themselves (although they may re-install it when it goes sour some
>>> time later). From what I've read OEMs will be able to select the
>>> browser on behalf of the user and pre-install it for them
>>>
>>> Net result, users get a machine with IE8 pre-installed.
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Al.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> That seems to be what I have read too.
>>
>> Of course an OS with no browser would make it very hard for a nontechy
>> user to actually go and get one anyway.
>>
>> Open a command window,
>> Use FTP?
>>
>> Al
>>
>>
> Are Microsoft still going to offer the regular versions of Windows too?
> I can't say I've seen Windows XP N or Vista N (the versions without
> Windows Media Player) available anywhere (well, I think I've seen it
> once).  I somehow doubt that it's going to be widely available somehow,
> I'm sure Microsoft are just doing it to say that it is out there if OEM
> choose to use it (and no doubt put the blame on the OEM's for being mean
> and buying the versions with IE8 bundled in).
>

"Unlike the N versions, which proved to be very unsuccessful—as
Europeans simply purchased the full retail versions and OEMs refused
to include them on their systems—Microsoft is not planning to offer a
version of Windows 7 in Europe that includes IE8."

also:

"Microsoft notes that the decision affects both OEM and Retail
versions of Windows 7 products. While OEMs will have access to a free
"IE8 pack" that allows them to add the browser back in, consumers who
purchase retail copies will not have a browser that they can use to
download a browser. Therefore, Microsoft will offer IE8 via CD, FTP,
and retail channels. It looks like Mozilla, Opera, Google, and Apple
will have to do the same if they want European Windows 7 adopters to
have access to their browsers. "

- http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/06/windows-7-to-be-shipped-in-europe-sans-internet-explorer.ars

(article is worth a read)