Microsoft has sought to preempt European Union action by issuing a statement stating that its Windows 7 operating system will be made available in Europe without the Internet Explorer browser included. According to Microsoft, this action is designed to reduce the legal uncertainties around the launch of Windows 7 in Europe and “the risk of large fines”.

An official at the European Commission said in response that whilst he noted Microsoft’s move “with interest”, for consumers, “rather than more choice, Microsoft seems to have chosen to provide less”.

European regulators have been in the process of preparing action against Microsoft that would include a requirement for it to give PC users a choice of which browser they use.

The EU has been expected to push ahead with its action later this summer, along with a penalty that some legal observers say could approach the record €1.06bn ($1.49bn) fine recently levied on Intel.

The move is similar to an earlier European action against Microsoft, when regulators forced the company to sell a version of Windows without a media player bundled into the software.

Source: FT

Labels: IE, internet browsers, Internet explorer, Microsoft, Windows 7