Windows without IE
By faisai
@faisai (1138)
Hong Kong
June 13, 2009 1:51pm CST
I know you guys may not like IE and have been using firefox or chrome. But what if one day you buy a PC with Windows installed but NO browsers?
There is news that Microsoft is going to provide a version of Windows 7 with IE removed so as to please the EU. OEM are then free to install whatever browsers they see fit (or not installing at all). OEM PC is the easy part but if you just go to buy Windows 7 alone, you are on your own to find a way to get your favorite browser into your computer before you can start surfing.
The requirement of not bundling IE within the OS is such an interesting concept. I mean there are so many more Windows is providing: paint, calculators, solitaire, wordpad, notepad, file explorer, image viewers, etc, etc. There are tons of things bundled in that will EU one day require Microsoft to remove everything from Windows?
Also, if EU requires Microsoft not to bundle IE with Windows, why not it also require Safari be removed from Mac?
4 responses
@tonyllenium (6252)
• Italy
22 Jun 09
Yes it is a ood question..so may be also apple must sold the os without safari as micorsoft and windows ones without ie!In my opinion this is not a big problem seeing that there are many browser available for free who are good so when you have your new windows just download some of them!!
Surely this is a thing hitting microsoft seeing it is the leader on the market and so they can to cancel all policies which they will be considered as monopoly and so trying to open the market but i think from the consumer points nothing will change deeply!
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
23 Jun 09
Sadly, Microsoft is the only one being targeted. Nobody is interested in Apple not supplying Safari with the OS. In fact, if Mac is not pre-installed with Safari, people will be even more angry.
At end of the day, all the problems arise simply because it is Microsoft.
@dianmelydia (2269)
• Indonesia
14 Jun 09
I think Microsoft learnt from their past time. They want to reduce any pressure when they launching their Windows 7. As we know, there're many people, company, and institution sue Microsoft for their built-in browser, which is Internet Explorer. This is a good decission for build a good impression about Windows 7. In my opinion, installing IE is not a hard thing. So it doesn't a matter if i need to install it separately. It's just like what most of us do when installing another internet browser such as Fire Fox, Opera, etc. Have a nice day and happy mylotting.
@Jimeous (858)
• New Zealand
14 Jun 09
I can see problems arising for the average person which buys Windows 7 only to find that they have no way to surf the web. While I do not use IE as a rule, I have needed it in the past when I have installed Windows on other computers.
Of course those were the days before Flash Drives, which helps when carting around software.
@faisai (1138)
• Hong Kong
14 Jun 09
Thanks for your reply.
I understand that Flash drives help in the way that you can put your favorite browsers into it so you can install it to a new computer even if you don't have IE. But how many of us do really have a flash drive with firefox or whatever browsers? In the past, we don't have a CD with browsers, today, we don't have a flash drive with browsers. I am just wondering whether the people in Europe will actually like the fact their computer by default can't surf the net.
@Roshie (12)
• United States
17 Jun 09
I dont think this will ever happen, because when this happens microsoft's share in the browser market will go way down because the average person will just use the web browser on their computer, so when they go to download a browser they would have to go in a store(most likely) and the people there will recommend a different browser and there you go microsoft lost the majority of the browser share
