Windows 7 EU-Specific Variant Scrapped

[btarunr]

Following the European Commission's recent welcoming of Microsoft's proposed "browser ballot" method of providing users a choice of web-browser software to be installed, Microsoft has decided to scrap the Eurozone-specific variant of the operating system codenamed "Windows 7 E", that lacks the Windows Internet Explorer web-browser component. The company will be shipping the standard version of the software to EU which it ships to the rest of the world.

In an interview with CNET, Microsoft's VP and Deputy General Counsel Dave Heiner said "One reason we decided not to ship Windows 7 'E' is concerns raised by computer manufacturers and partners." He added that "Several worried about the complexity of changing the version of Windows that we ship in Europe if our ballot screen proposal is ultimately accepted by the Commission and we stop selling Windows 7 'E'. Computer manufacturers and our partners also warned that introducing Windows 7 'E', only to later replace it with a version of Windows 7 that includes IE, could confuse consumers about what version of Windows to buy with their PCs."



Source: CNET

[Meecrob]

they should just install them all and let the user remove the ones they dont want :P

[Paintface]

its a shame you cant ever really uninstall IE since its way too interwebbed with the OS

[h3llb3nd4]

Europeans will now be happier/sadder

[Darknova]

One word. Yey!

This is what I hoped for for a while. Now I can install Opera without IE ^_^

[Meecrob]

Originally Posted by Darknova

One word. Yey!

This is what I hoped for for a while. Now I can install Opera without IE ^_^

Opera>Sarari4/chrome>FireFaux>IE

[mdm-adph]

Originally Posted by btarunr

Following the European Commission's recent welcoming of Microsoft's proposed "browser ballot" method of providing users a choice of web-browser software to be installed, Microsoft has decided to scrap the Eurozone-specific variant of the operating system codenamed "Windows 7 E", that lacks the Windows Internet Explorer web-browser component. The company will be shipping the standard version of the software to EU which it ships to the rest of the world.

In an interview with CNET, Microsoft's VP and Deputy General Counsel Dave Heiner said "One reason we decided not to ship Windows 7 'E' is concerns raised by computer manufacturers and partners." He added that "Several worried about the complexity of changing the version of Windows that we ship in Europe if our ballot screen proposal is ultimately accepted by the Commission and we stop selling Windows 7 'E'. Computer manufacturers and our partners also warned that introducing Windows 7 'E', only to later replace it with a version of Windows 7 that includes IE, could confuse consumers about what version of Windows to buy with their PCs."

http://www.techpowerup.com/img/09-08-03/7a_thm.jpg

Source: CNET

Just the fact that the picture shows that you're choosing whether or not to "install" Internet Explorer while using Internet Explorer shows how silly this all is.

Originally Posted by Meecrob

they should just install them all and let the user remove the ones they dont want :P

Tell you the truth, I'd rather have this.

[CStylen]

-1 for Socialism

[erocker]

Originally Posted by h3llb3nd4

Europeans will now be happier/sadder

+1, though I'm sure non-Europeans will chime in about their happiness/sadness.

[Meecrob]

Originally Posted by CStylen

-1 for Socialism

-5 for stupidity

[TheLaughingMan]

I never understood this fuss. It is not like you are incapable of installing a different browser. Granted, a lot of people will simply not care; however, for us "power users" the first thing we install on an OS is the web browser we actually use.

I am not sure about you guys, but I enjoy the sad joke that I need to use IE to browser the internet to download the web browser to replace IE.

[Meecrob]

Originally Posted by TheLaughingMan

I never understood this fuss. It is not like you are incapable of installing a different browser. Granted, a lot of people will simply not care; however, for us "power users" the first thing we install on an OS is the web browser we actually use.

I am not sure about you guys, but I enjoy the sad joke that I need to use IE to browser the internet to download the web browser to replace IE.

funny in sad way, ironic

yeah, hell i even try and avoid doing that by keeping the latist opera installer around as a backup:P

[alexp999]

Damn

I liked the fact it would have forced devs to recode their apps to use IE less/differently

For example, if I run Win 7 E or uninstall IE, steam works fine other than for pop ups (e.g screenshots).

I mean its no biggie for me to go and uninstall IE, but it means that steam will never be fixed.

Thing is, the whole Win 7 E thing was actually good IMO, it meant I got out there and tried other browsers. I'm now a devoted Opera User.

I'd like to know whats actually happening about pre-orders tho. I we all just being moved over to a standard retail edition? If so, win/win. We get full retail standard edition at ridiculously low prices!

[TheLaughingMan]

Originally Posted by alexp999

For example, if I run Win 7 E or uninstall IE, steam works fine other than for pop ups (e.g screenshots).

If you are using FireFox and I think Opera can do this too. Instal IE Tabs (or Opera's version) and set it as your default browser. Then try steam again. It should open the pics in those browsers just fine, but I suggest the IE Tabs just in case their is something else weird going on.

The main reason most programs us IE is not because the like it or want to, but it is the only browser they can Guarantee will be on your Windows OS. Hell, if you if "uninstalled" it on WinXP IE can still be started. XP IE uninstall just removes direct access to IE, but the OS can still start it at will because it is still there.

[alexp999]

Originally Posted by TheLaughingMan

If you are using FireFox and I think Opera can do this too. Instal IE Tabs (or Opera's version) and set it as your default browser. Then try steam again. It should open the pics in those browsers just fine, but I suggest the IE Tabs just in case their is something else weird going on.

The main reason most programs us IE is not because the like it or want to, but it is the only browser they can Guarantee will be on your Windows OS. Hell, if you if "uninstalled" it on WinXP IE can still be started. XP IE uninstall just removes direct access to IE, but the OS can still start it at will because it is still there.

My point about steam is that it can run the main app without IE, it can even run a browesr in game without IE, yet they insist on the screenshot pop-up opening in IE, wtf

[mikek75]

Originally Posted by alexp999

Damn

I liked the fact it would have forced devs to recode their apps to use IE less/differently

For example, if I run Win 7 E or uninstall IE, steam works fine other than for pop ups (e.g screenshots).

I mean its no biggie for me to go and uninstall IE, but it means that steam will never be fixed.

Thing is, the whole Win 7 E thing was actually good IMO, it meant I got out there and tried other browsers. I'm now a devoted Opera User.

I'd like to know whats actually happening about pre-orders tho. I we all just being moved over to a standard retail edition? If so, win/win. We get full retail standard edition at ridiculously low prices!

@Alex, according to that CNET source we'll be alright.....
"Those who pre-ordered Windows 7 "E" through a recent discount offer will get the full version, as Microsoft had promised. However, Microsoft plans to now sell Windows 7 upgrades in Europe and also offer a higher-priced full version (for those without an earlier copy of Windows)--similar to what it is doing in the rest of the world.

[TheGuruStud]

Originally Posted by Paintface

its a shame you cant ever really uninstall IE since its way too interwebbed with the OS

Before vista sp1 you could, but m$ fixed that in a hurry.

[Salsoolo]

i dont get it. its microsoft's os, why shouldnt they add their own made browser?
i like to use other browsers, but since Windows is made by microsoft i expect them to add other microsoft stuff.
microsoft should have ignored all that bs.

take a look at apple.

[TheLaughingMan]

Originally Posted by alexp999

My point about steam is that it can run the main app without IE, it can even run a browesr in game without IE, yet they insist on the screenshot pop-up opening in IE, wtf

Project time, I will see if I can teach Steam proper anti-IE etiquette when I get home.

[pr0n Inspector]

some of you need to distinguish IE from Trident.

[FordGT90Concept]

Originally Posted by TheLaughingMan

The main reason most programs us IE is not because the like it or want to, but it is the only browser they can Guarantee will be on your Windows OS. Hell, if you if "uninstalled" it on WinXP IE can still be started. XP IE uninstall just removes direct access to IE, but the OS can still start it at will because it is still there.

It's still there in Windows 7 too. They just don't call it "Internet Explorer" (its an API embedded into the kernel). Like Steam, if Internet Explorer was 100% gone, it wouldn't even render the HTML (you'd see something like "<html><head></head><body></body></html>"). Internet Explorer is just the GUI for the API. When Steam tries to open a new browser window, the GUI isn't found.

All other browsers come with their own API for rendering HTML.

[alexp999]

Originally Posted by pr0n Inspector

some of you need to distinguish IE from Trident.

Trident is the HTML engine which IE uses. Uninstalling IE from the system leaves Trident in place as so many apps use it, including steam. It only removes the GUI that is IE.

My point was that steam has been built to use Trident with its own interface for everything but screenshot popups which IMO is bloody stupid.

[FordGT90Concept]

It's a bug in Steam. I'm fairly certain all .NET Framework applications use Trident for the Web elements.

[Richieb0y]

to bad i really liked the E vission guess i have to stay whit this Win7 E that i got now

[Jizzler]

Ugh, that's the ballot system?

Guess I should have known, being forced into something I'd probably produce a lackluster solution such as the one above. Sigh.