On Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 1:28 PM, Rob Beard<r...@esdelle.co.uk> wrote: > Alan Lord (News) wrote: >> On 12/06/09 12:20, Alan Pope wrote: >> >>> 2009/6/12 Sean Miller<s...@seanmiller.net>: >>> >>>> "European buyers of Windows 7 will have to download and install a web >>>> browser for themselves. Bowing to European competition rules, >>>> Microsoft Windows 7 will ship without Internet Explorer *snip" >>>> >>>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8096701.stm >>>> >>>> That could be quite a turning point in the browser wars. >>>> >>>> >>> As far as I understand it, the vast majority of people obtain windows >>> as a pre-installation on a new computer. Most don't install it >>> themselves (although they may re-install it when it goes sour some >>> time later). From what I've read OEMs will be able to select the >>> browser on behalf of the user and pre-install it for them >>> >>> Net result, users get a machine with IE8 pre-installed. >>> >>> Cheers, >>> Al. >>> >>> >> >> That seems to be what I have read too. >> >> Of course an OS with no browser would make it very hard for a nontechy >> user to actually go and get one anyway. >> >> Open a command window, >> Use FTP? >> >> Al >> >> > Are Microsoft still going to offer the regular versions of Windows too? > I can't say I've seen Windows XP N or Vista N (the versions without > Windows Media Player) available anywhere (well, I think I've seen it > once). I somehow doubt that it's going to be widely available somehow, > I'm sure Microsoft are just doing it to say that it is out there if OEM > choose to use it (and no doubt put the blame on the OEM's for being mean > and buying the versions with IE8 bundled in). >
"Unlike the N versions, which proved to be very unsuccessful—as Europeans simply purchased the full retail versions and OEMs refused to include them on their systems—Microsoft is not planning to offer a version of Windows 7 in Europe that includes IE8." also: "Microsoft notes that the decision affects both OEM and Retail versions of Windows 7 products. While OEMs will have access to a free "IE8 pack" that allows them to add the browser back in, consumers who purchase retail copies will not have a browser that they can use to download a browser. Therefore, Microsoft will offer IE8 via CD, FTP, and retail channels. It looks like Mozilla, Opera, Google, and Apple will have to do the same if they want European Windows 7 adopters to have access to their browsers. " - http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/06/windows-7-to-be-shipped-in-europe-sans-internet-explorer.ars (article is worth a read) -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/