Inside the latest twist in its antitrust battle in Europe,
Office 2010 Home And Business Product Key, it now looks like Microsoft is leaning away from delivering its browser-less version of Windows, Windows 7E in any way.Just two weeks ago,
Microsoft Office 2010, Microsoft officials stated the provider was giving in towards the European Commission;s proposal that Microsoft present a “browser ballot” screen to European users, offering them with a choice of browsers. At that time, Microsoft execs stated they still planned to go forward with their Windows 7E plan — via which PC makers an retailers would be required to present a browser-less version of Windows 7 — at least until the European Commissioners stated they;d accept Microsoft;s edition of the ballot-screen proposal. If and when Microsoft got the EC nod, Microsoft would drop Windows 7E and offer resellers with the regular version of Windows 7 that the rest of the world is getting.But on July 31, Microsoft switched gears and said it had decided against providing PC makers or retailers with the Windows 7E in any way. (They did remind folks that if the EC ends up not going with the proposed ballot-screen that Microsoft still plans to foist Windows 7E on PC makers and consumers.)The firm;s reasons for the most recent switch are telling. From an “On the Issues” blog posting (at 8:20 p.m. ET last Friday) from Vice President and Deputy General Counsel David Heiner:“One reason we decided not to ship Windows 7 E is concerns raised by computer manufacturers and partners. Several worried about the complexity of changing the edition 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 edition of Windows 7 that includes IE,
Office 2010 X86 Key, could confuse consumers about what edition of Windows to buy with their PCs.“The Commission also previously expressed concerns about Windows 7 E. In a statement the day after I outlined our plans for Windows 7 E, the Commission clarified that it believes ‘consumers should be offered a choice of browser, not that Windows should be supplied without a browser whatsoever.;”PC makers hated Microsoft;s Windows 7E plan. The EC hated it. European consumers, as soon as they found out the new hoops they had to jump through to get on the Internet,
Office 2010 32 Bit Key, were going to hate it.Is there anyone who still doubts that Microsoft;s 7E plan was a stroke of diabolical genius,
Microsoft Office Home And Business 2010, and designed to force the Commission;s hand — and had nothing to do with Microsoft wanting to do the “right” thing?In any case, Microsoft has put the ball back inside the EC;s court. It will be interesting to see whether the EC is satisfied with Microsoft;s version of the browser-ballot proposal or requires any modifications to it before the two parties come to some kind of settlement over the Opera-instigated browser-bundling case.