News - Microsoft gimps Windows 7 for European users to comply with EU law

[Saracen]

A BBC article on the topic says the Brussels bunch is still not entirely happy with Microsoft
So as I see it, the EU wants MS to promote competitors' products in their own

Gaaaaahhhh!

I give up.


Now that they've got what they asked for, it seems it wasn't what they wanted.

Perhaps these competition tzars would like to code the next version of Windows for MS, seeing as they seem to want to do everything else for them. What will these dunderheads think of next?

[Grey M@a]

A BBC article on the topic says the Brussels bunch is still not entirely happy with Microsoft
So as I see it, the EU wants MS to promote competitors' products in their own

Now that is a complete joke lol why the hell would any company support and release other competitors browsers lol The EU commission is really having a laugh with this.

I don't see why the EU should stop here, why not tell ford they have to supply vauxhalls to in europe and support the warranties for those cars xD far fetched I know but you will never get another company actively advertising and outright supporting the customer on any product that isn't theirs.

[TheAnimus]

As long as they make Apple and all other OSes out there do the same...

Haven't some 25 million iPod touchs/iPhones been sold in the EU, which have only Safari available. They're not allowed to port accross the superior Opera because apple won't let them.

Mabye the EU should target that monopoly.

[Kjnowak]

What's really annoying is... i just don't care about the fair competitivness for other companies..... i'm going to have to install IE8 on all my versions on Windows 7 anyway. Just bundle it.

[dangel]

Well it's great news for all us EU citizens who bought 'N' versions of XP and Vista.


Yes, all 2 of them.

[Singh400]

Haven't some 25 million iPod touchs/iPhones been sold in the EU, which have only Safari available. They're not allowed to port accross the superior Opera because apple won't let them.

Mabye the EU should target that monopoly.

Exactly.

And why can't I buy an Apple OS and install it on my hardware at home? Why do I have to buy Apple hardware aswell?

And for the list of browsers that the users are given to install. What browsers will be included? Chomre, Firfox, Opera, Safari? But what about the other less well known browsers such as Maxthon and etc? They won't be too happy either.

Dumb ass EU.

Europe will only been getting Windows 7: E, Windows 7: N. It won't be getting the normal Windows 7, which is available to the rest of the world.

Thanks for crippling Windows 7, Mr EU.

...

Windows 7 will be offered in Europe in all of the versions that will be available here in the United States, both 32- and 64-bit, with an “E” at the end of the product name (for instance, Windows 7 Home Premium E). The E versions of Windows 7 will ship at the same time as Windows 7 ships in the rest of the world, and they will be available in 23 European languages.

What does this mean for European consumers? The E versions of Windows 7 will include all the features and functionality of Windows 7 in the rest of the world, other than browsing with Internet Explorer. Computer manufacturers will be able to add any browser they want to their Windows 7 machines, including Internet Explorer, so European consumers who purchase new PCs will be able to access the Internet without any problem. Consumers will also be able to add any Web browser to their PCs, to supplement or replace the browsers preinstalled by their computer manufacturer.

Most importantly, the E versions of Windows 7 will continue to provide all of the underlying platform functionality of the operating system—applications designed for Windows will run just as well on an E version as on other versions of Windows 7.

...

If I was Microsoft, I would pull out of the EU altogether. See how they like that, yes I know it's childish. But what can you do with the dickheads in the EU?

[Arthran]

EuroPolitics FTW

Sigh

its no wonder the UKIP party did so well in our euro elections here in the UK

[Singh400]

Looks like Opera isn't happy still - aren't they the ones who originally complained to the EU about IE in Windows?

...

The chief complainant in the European browser case against Microsoft says that the move to strip Internet Explorer out of Windows 7 in Europe is an insufficient step that won't lead to better competition in the browser market.

In an interview, Opera Chief Technology Officer Hakon Wium Lie said that with regulators threatening action, Microsoft was under pressure to do something, but said that its choice wasn't what Opera was looking for. Lie told CNET that Opera wants people to have access to more browsers, not fewer.

...

Instead, Lie favors a proposal that the European regulators have been considering that would require users to be given a choice to download one or more browsers the first time they access the Internet.

...

The situation is even more precarious for those upgrading existing machines to Windows 7. In that case they get a PC with no browser at all. Microsoft will make lots of CDs that will give users IE 8 if they want, but Opera and rivals have no easy way to get on those machines, short of following Microsoft's approach.

Lie also objected to the fact Microsoft is only making the move in Europe.

"It's Europe only," he said. "We're looking for more than that. We want the whole world to have better access to better browsers."

Well Opera, I can honestly say I'll never try your browser ever. Infact I'd rather use Firefox than Opera.

And exactly how does the EU plan for customers to access the internet without an internet browser? Not everyone is comfortable using ftp/cli.

[Arthran]

i think the EU more intended for IE to be bundled, but for the default start page to take you to a central Browser download page where you can pick and choose

[Crevan]

i think the EU more intended for IE to be bundled, but for the default start page to take you to a central Browser download page where you can pick and choose

The page shouldn't be done by Microsoft, then. Just to be fair to everyone.

Anyway, I think EU is approaching this from a very wrong point of view. Instead of bollocking MS about their browser, they should put an effort to educate people that IE is not the only/best option of a browser. Let people know what's available and what does what, and let them decide for themselves.

[Arthran]

indeed, its like saying that car manafacturers shouldnt include a car stereo, they should advertise all the different stereo brands rather than put their own in.

Those of us who want to change their stereo, will do. Those who dont want to, are happy using whatever is default.

Its the same with browsers, those of us who want to change, will. Those who are happy just being default, will continue to do so, be they using ie8 as default, or safari, or even FF.

[Nelviticus]

indeed, its like saying that car manafacturers shouldnt include a car stereo, they should advertise all the different stereo brands rather than put their own in.

It's like that, except in a world where 98% of the cars sold come from one manufacturer who saw that someone else was making car stereos which were very popular, so they told all their dealers not to install anyone else's stereos.

They have now been fined for doing that and told not to do it again, so their response is to sell all their cars without stereos.

[Arthran]

true

[macbeth1959]

What an opportunity for the retail/support sector - fifty quid to set up windows for you and for a measly twenty quid extra we'll install this shiny, free, browser. Of course it's a browser of our choice; because we did a deal with them - for a modest fee, naturally!!!!

It's a mad mad mad mad mad mad world!

[cheesemp]

Am I the only person here who agrees with this? You can't remove IE from XP or Vista completely - no matter what you do. I do not want any part of IE to be installed on my PC if I can help it - no DLL/Active X components - nothing!!!. Its about time microsoft got told where to shove that pathetic excuse of a browser (including 8!). Maybe then steam would stop using it internally .

Any way its pretty obvious this is just an opportunity for microsoft to put pressure on the competition commission so they can get the judgement reduced - just wait Win7 E will have a link on the desktop that installs IE just like they do with MSN.

[Barrichello]

Well Opera, I can honestly say I'll never try your browser ever. Infact I'd rather use Firefox than Opera.

"rather use" ?

You make it sound like Firefox and Opera are the worst browsers known to man, please let me know which browsers you preference above these.