As CNET states, Windows 7 will be shipped to Europe without IE8 because European antitrust regulators told them so. This clearly shows how rotten EU antitrust committee is and how easy it is for a well settled lobby to force the whole EU to accept absolutely stupid and nonsense act.
Who will gain any profit from this?
Users? No, they will have to find a way to get any browser on their new computer. And what if it’s their first computer? How are they supposed to download anything from the internet? Yes it’s a five minutes job for an IT specialist, but go teach your grandmother how to use ftp.exe to download anything ;)
Hardware vendors? No, they were always able to install any browser on the computers they sell and make it the default one.
Other browser vendors? To a degree. Anyway Microsoft will provide hardware resellers with an IE8 pack – so they can install IE8 on all the computers they build.
Is there any sense at all in this decision? I can’t see it.
I just don’t get it, really. If I’m buying a car, I won’t argue that the tyres on this new car are from Pirelli (or any other vendor). I will just change them if I don’t really like Pirelli, or choose another car which doesn’t have Pirelly. I’m not prohibited to change them. I’m just given the default one.
And now compare this situation with Apple who clearly prohibits installing Opera on its iPhone. Because it would compete (and, obviously, win the competition) with their Safari browser. Why doesn’t EU antitrust committee look at this? Why don’t Opera take any action here?