...for now
Last week, HEXUS brought you the news that Microsoft proposing a change to its measures designed to comply with European law regarding the bundling of its Internet Explorer (IE) web browser with Windows 7.
Rather than offer a special ‘E' version for Europe, with no browser bundled, it proposed bundling IE but one of the first web pages users will see on it will be a "consumer ballot screen" (shown below) that will give them the choice of a number of browsers to download.
What seemed to be just a proposal last week appears to have been set in stone by Microsoft VP and deputy general counsel Dave Heiner, who said in a recent blog: "I'm pleased to report that we will ship the same version of Windows 7 in Europe in October that we will ship in the rest of the world."
Heiner goes on to say the main reason for the move was concerns from partners that it was going to be too complicated to switch from ‘E' edition to the full version if the EU accepts Microsoft's new plan, so he confirmed that Microsoft will not ship Windows 7 E.
He doesn't say so specifically, but the implication is that anyone who has pre-ordered Windows 7 E will now receive the full version instead. Heiner did warn however, that the matter is not closed yet. "We've been open both with the Commission and with our customers and partners that if the ballot screen proposal is not accepted for some reason, then we will have to consider alternative paths, including the reintroduction of a Windows 7 E version in Europe," he said
