Microsoft Q&A
The blog post still left quite a few questions unanswered, so we fired some over to Microsoft.
Will this browser-less version be the only one made available in Europe?
The E version will be available in 23 languages in the European Economic Area (EEA), Croatia and Switzerland.
How does Microsoft expect purchasers of this product to access the Internet?
Customers who purchase new PCs with the E version of Windows 7 or who purchase the E version of the software package of Windows 7 will be able to add the browser of their choice via CD distribution, FTP installation, retail distribution, or other means.
PC manufacturers and distributors will, of course, continue to be able to add any browser they choose to their Windows 7 E machines.
Will there also be a version with Windows Media Player removed?
We will continue to provide an N version in Europe
Will it be possible to upgrade from Vista to the browser-less version?
For our customers who chose to upgrade to Windows 7 on an existing Windows XP or Windows Vista computer, the upgrade will require a clean installation of the E version of Windows 7, which is a completely fresh installation of Windows on the computer.
Does Microsoft have any response to the EC's comment?
We have no comment at this time.
We think it's telling that Microsoft effectively chose not to answer the first question. To us that means the issue isn't decided yet and Microsoft is probably awaiting the EC's response to its pre-emptive, unilateral move, before completely ruling out offering a version of Windows 7 with IE still included.
