Emil Protalinski at Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/authors/emil-protalinski/), referring to an article by Ina Fried on CNET(http://www.cnet.com/profile/Ina+Fried/), talks about Microsoft choice to ship in EU Windows 7 without IE8 installed, leaving to OEM manufacturers the choice to ” have the option to add the browser back in, ship another browser, or ship multiple browsers. ”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,” Microsoft notes. “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.”(full article at http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/06/windows-7-to-be-shipped-in-europe-sans-internet-explorer.ars, CNET article at http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10262630-56.html).

In my opinion this is a strong hand move trying to push over EU for recent regulation. Right or wrong could be a boomernag for Microsoft, at least in system usability.

Because if is true that in this way Redmond’s company will ensure compliancy to EU laws, on the other side will leave all people not having enough technical knowledge without a browser, though making their new PC quite usefull.

It’s not so easy for an average or below average user to install and configure a browser, so the scenario is that those kind of users (that represent the majority of PC users) will rely on choices made by OEM manufacturers or will move to those browsers having the easiest installaction package (and guess which we’ll be the choice).

So, in my opinion Microsoft move is again a strong move against UE, but, at the end a non sense move for users.

This article as a comment also at http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/06/windows-7-to-be-shipped-in-europe-sans-internet-explorer.ars?comments=4&comment_id=853005000041 and http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10262630-56.html