Reports: Microsoft puts new IE8 "off" switch in Windows 7 test |
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Reports: Microsoft puts new IE8 "off" switch in Windows 7 test
Image via chris123nt.com
Microsoft, which has historically contended that Internet Explorer is an integral part of Windows, has quietly given users the ability to turn the browser off in a test build of Windows 7, according to new reports. The move could have implications for the simmering antitrust dispute in Europe over the company's continued bundling of the browser with the dominant operating system.
Details of the option, in Windows 7 Build 7048, are explained in this post on Chris' Repository of Knowledge. Paul Thurrott speculates that the company is looking to preempt antitrust problems by giving PC makers or end users the ability to essentially remove Internet Explorer to level the playing field for rival browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Opera, which lodged the EU complaint.
However, it's not clear if the off switch will make its way into the final version of Windows 7, expected to be released later this year. I've asked Microsoft for an explanation, and I'll update this post depending on the response.
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