Microsoft to Strip Windows 7 of IE and WMP for Europe, Abiding by Laws

[oli_ramsay]

Fee will means you've got to have a choice. God gave us Fee will and M$ took out the freedom to choose from us. We Europeans don't make internet browsers, but we want to be able to choose which US browser to use - IE, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome or some other. Don't blame us for defending our Free will, you've got to do the same.

Opera is Norwegian...

 

[Papahyooie]

EU is giving you free will??? Sounds like they're taking it away. Taking away your ability to have a free web browser (even if it is just to download another browser) already bundled, sounds like they're taking it away. Glad I live in the good old US of A... oh wait, nevermind, with our current regime we're headed in the same direction... i mean our government already took over our car companies, so I guess next up is full on war with microsoft. Well, lets not get off topic...

 

[TheMailMan78]

Some of you guys were praising these jack asses in the pirate threads and every other thread that trashes free enterprise. Now you wont be able to get online. All I got to say is

As for the "free will" statement all I have to say is WTF. I mean its free. You don't HAVE to use it. But hey, you got your wish. No IE for you.

 

[btarunr]

I agree. If they really believed in "free will", the version with IE/WMP should be made available too. People who like IE and WMP should have the free will of choosing that version.

 

[alexp999]

I agree. If they really believed in "free will", the version with IE/WMP should be made available too. People who like IE and WMP should have the free will of choosing that version.

Totally agree.

Should have a version, that has a sticker saying, includes IE8 and WMP.

Then people can vote with their wallets, and prove that people in EU dont want EU crippled software

 

[TheMailMan78]

Totally agree.

Should have a version, that has a sticker saying, includes IE8 and WMP.

Then people can vote with their wallets, and prove that people in EU don't want EU crippled software

Now, now the EU has Pirate party. You can just get it from one of thier web browsers.....oh wait

 

[alexp999]

Oh believe me I'll source the full version by other means if I have to.

 

[AsRock]

Uk is in europe yes

Sadly yes, who voted for that as i cannot remember the ppl of the UK wanting to be part of Europe. But i guess it's like most things.

I wonder if OEMs are allowed to sell computers in the EU with IE8 on.

Imagine if you bought a brand new PC and couldnt even get teh interwebz

This makes me so angry At MS for giving in, but more at EU and their ridiculous policies. I really think something needs to be done about the EU, a thin down of all the bods and relook at policies.

Hehe there be a shortcut on the desktop for IE once you installed is all most likely and maybe next to Firefox then again Firefox will probably be already installed MAYBE..

What i think Europes pissed about is not being able to uninstall it fully when you select uninstall.

 

[DaveK]

lol glory hole

 

[Ahhzz]

Wtf, MS/EU

How the hell am I supposed to get a browser on my machine. This is so stupid.

Oh well, looks like I'll be downloading the US version then.

Screw that, I want a copy of this version. Then I can load Chrome on it and be happy

 

[TRIPTEX_CAN]

I'll actually be looking for the EU version and installing Firefox via USB stick. No IE and no WMP sounds like a good build to me.

This is MS I'm sure they will an option to install IE just like they provide an option to install Live Messenger in Vista and W7.

 

[Ahhzz]

Some of you guys were praising these jack asses in the pirate threads and every other thread that trashes free enterprise. Now you wont be able to get online. All I got to say is

As for the "free will" statement all I have to say is WTF. I mean its free. You don't HAVE to use it. But hey, you got your wish. No IE for you.

Yeah...cause I never heard of a thumb drive or a cd burner to transfer the browser of my choice to the new machine..... damn...that sucks...




:shadedshu

 

[Ahhzz]

Come one guys, it's not going to make it remotely difficult for YOU to get online. And joe-user will simply have to install a browser when buying a computer. they will find a way to make it easy i bet.

That aside it's ridiculous, why can't Mircosoft bundle what software they like? EU is a dinosaur.

Exactly. The OEM's are being "encouraged" to install a browser at their level, so standard users can get on, and the rest of us will manage just fine...

 

[gumpty]

Listen to you all! You're forgetting that what, 95% of Win7 installs will be done by companies that build and sell computers. These companies will obviously install a browser for their customers before they ship; so now there is no barrier to them installing FF, Opera or whatever else they want. And THAT is a GOOD thing.

The rest of us will quite rightly have our browser installer on USB drive to install.

I'm a bit perplexed by the lack of upgrade path from Vista though.

 

[alexp999]

Funny thing is, IE8 and WMP have to be there for the OS to function properly. It will just be the GUI thats missing/disabled.

 

[Ahhzz]

I'm a bit perplexed by the lack of upgrade path from Vista though.

I think that's just MS being pissy.....

 

[Cuzza]

Funny thing is, IE8 and WMP have to be there for the OS to function properly. It will just be the GUI thats missing/disabled.

Why is that?

 

[DrPepper]

Why is that?

Windows explorer and IE are pretty much the same thing and thats why you can't uninstall IE because its an important part of the OS.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

If i was m$ i'd tell the eu to feck off,our os so we'll put what we fecking like in it.

 

[gumpty]

I think that's just MS being pissy.....

I figured as much. It wouldn't surprise me if this part of it is just a bit of posturing and wont actually be implemented.

 

[TheMailMan78]

Well I read somewhere that the EU was asking MS to do something that isnt required by other industries. The example they used was a 6 pack of coke. The EU basically wants MS to sell a 6 pack of coke with one pepsi included. You would get 5 cokes and 1 pepsi to offer you "choice". What MS did to fix this issue is sell you a 6 pack with only 5 cokes and an empty slot to make your "choice". However in the end still charging you the same price. Capitalism FTW!

FYI if you don't like it I hear Venezuela is working on an OS.

 

[satelitko]

I don't get what you people are complaining about... Why would you even WANT IE or WMP? This is GREAT news... no more programs launching IE, when you clearly made your FF/Chrome/w.e. your main browser... No more WMP, which can't play sh*t... I'm in utter glee about this!!!

 

[devguy]

Listen to you all! You're forgetting that what, 95% of Win7 installs will be done by companies that build and sell computers. These companies will obviously install a browser for their customers before they ship; so now there is no barrier to them installing FF, Opera or whatever else they want. And THAT is a GOOD thing.

The rest of us will quite rightly have our browser installer on USB drive to install.

I'm a bit perplexed by the lack of upgrade path from Vista though.

Seriously! Come on, I'd be willing to bet that almost 100% of those who have the know how to build their own computer and will be buying Windows 7 OEM or retail will have the know how to put a .exe or .msi installer on a USB flash drive and run it!

For everyone else, they'll just buy an OEM pre-built computer which will already have a web browser installed so no issue there.

The only other cases are those who have Windows Vista and want to move to Windows 7 and will buy it retail/OEM. Well, since they probably won't understand how to do a full install, that only leaves the upgrade version, of which these IE stripped versions are not.

This is a GOOD thing! It means no IE GUI or WMP for those of us who, like me, never use these programs unless we are forced to (work...). Plus, I'm sure many OEMs will install browsers like Chrome or Firefox and let those who weren't already aware of alternative browsers be enlightened.

 

[mdm-adph]

Yeah -- they're not really removing it. It's still there. Quite a bit of Windows couldn't function without IE -- they're just making it look like it's not there.

I think that's just MS being pissy.....

That's exactly right -- the official company line is that "Vista was a great OS and we don't know why anybody had a problem with it -- why would you want to upgrade?"

Well I read somewhere that the EU was asking MS to do something that isnt required by other industries. The example they used was a 6 pack of coke. The EU basically wants MS to sell a 6 pack of coke with one pepsi included. You would get 5 cokes and 1 pepsi to offer you "choice". What MS did to fix this issue is sell you a 6 pack with only 5 cokes and an empty slot to make your "choice". However in the end still charging you the same price. Capitalism FTW!

Well, not exactly -- it's more like forcing Coke to sell a 6 pack of coke with no labels on the bottles. It's still coke, the coke flavor is still there, but it just looks like it's not coke. Granted, it's still dumb.

FYI if you don't like it I hear Venezuela is working on an OS.

No, they're just going to use Linux like Brazil did: http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2002-08-30-011-26-NW-LL-PB

What's sad is that even I think this is dumb. 10 years ago, I would've been all for this, but today, it just looks petty. IE is already losing quite a bit of market share as is. Web applications are becoming a big part of peoples' lives, and IE just doesn't perform up the same standards as something like Chrome or Safari does -- IE is already doomed, it's just a matter of time.

 

[TheMailMan78]

Yeah -- they're not really removing it. It's still there. Quite a bit of Windows couldn't function without IE -- they're just making it look like it's not there.



That's exactly right -- the official company line is that "Vista was a great OS and we don't know why anybody had a problem with it -- why would you want to upgrade?"



Well, not exactly -- it's more like forcing Coke to sell a 6 pack of coke with no labels on the bottles. It's still coke, the coke flavor is still there, but it just looks like it's not coke. Granted, it's still dumb.



No, they're just going to use Linux like Brazil did: http://www.linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2002-08-30-011-26-NW-LL-PB

What's sad is that even I think this is dumb. 10 years ago, I would've been all for this, but today, it just looks petty. IE is already losing quite a bit of market share as is. Web applications are becoming a big part of peoples' lives, and IE just doesn't perform up the same standards as something like Chrome or Safari does -- IE is already doomed, it's just a matter of time.

Safari? Really dude? I use it all day. In fact I'm posting with it now. It sucks. IE8 is much better. FYI I'm on a mac. Its the only reason I use Safari.