Ooops, No Internet Explorer for Europe Customers in Windows 7 E Edition
The letter “E” in Windows 7 E Edition stands for Europe, meaning this is the version specifically for Europe customers. Paul Thurrott had a preview of this edition on his SuperSite, which gives us a first glimpse of what it will look like in action. Basically, it looks pretty much the same as the other editions. Except:
NO Internet Explorer built in, and it seems that you can’t add it back via Programs and Features as you can in other versions that will be sold elsewhere around the whole world. Customers in Europe will have to download the version from Microsoft just like they do for the Firefox from Mozilla.
Ooops, we all know where all these came from, as Paul states:
there’s little doubt that the software giant’s answer to the increasingly irrational antitrust regulators in the EU is inventive. Rather than kowtow to the EU’s demands that it bundle competing web browsers in Windows 7 via a so-called ballot screen, Microsoft simply removed the source of the problem. In the Windows 7 E Editions, which will be provided to all of its customers in the EU, Internet Explorer simply isn’t included.
It’s still not final yet, so there is still a hope that Microsoft will be adding at least a few things back in the final release that would make customers in Europe a little easier to download or install IE on Windows 7. The whole anti-trust thing happened in Europe is a bit irrational, after all there seems no one filing the same case asking Apple take down Safari from its Mac OS. However, Microsoft’s reaction in Windows 7 that completely removes IE also seems a little too crazy. I agree Mike’s claim in his post:
Microsoft need to come out right now and reassure European consumers that the action centre will indeed provide the links they need, and that this option will also be added to the welcome centre. If not, any money we save with the new E edition pricing might as well be put towards a Mac.
Microsoft still has the time to make it right, for the awesome Windows 7’s sake.
The screenshots of this E Edition below and above are from Paul’s SuperSite:
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