Re Pre-Order Win 7 -No Browser

[nehoma]

I just copied this from a Microsoft site. They call the pre-order editions Win 7 E:-

Before you install an E edition of Windows 7, please visit windows.microsoft.com/install-windows-E for important information. When you install the E edition of Windows 7, you'll need to do a custom (clean) installation. That means you'll need to back up all of your files and settings, install the operating system, then re-install your files, settings, and programs. Important: The E editions of Windows 7 do not contain an Internet browser. Please get a browser from Microsoft or a third party and have it on a CD/DVD or another device so it's ready to install after the Windows 7 installation is complete.
Before you install an E edition of Windows 7, please visit windows.microsoft.com/install-windows-E for important information. When you install the E edition of Windows 7, you'll need to do a custom (clean) installation. That means you'll need to back up all of your files and settings, install the operating system, then re-install your files, settings, and programs. Important: The E editions of Windows 7 do not contain an Internet browser. Please get a browser from Microsoft or a third party and have it on a CD/DVD or another device so it's ready to install after the Windows 7 installation is complete.

 

[cybercore]

Please get a browser from Microsoft or a third party and have it on a CD/DVD or another device so it's ready to install after the Windows 7 installation is complete.

Can you give the link please. Does MS explain how you're supposed to get a browser if you don't have it on disk, how can you access internet then ?

 

[Bad.hair.spray]

Isn't it amazing how legal proceedings that was supposed to make things "better" for the consumer ends up making things so much more complicated...

 

[cybercore]

Yes, it's amazing. Perhaps it's gonna be a speciall window that can only download a browser of your choice but cannot browse web pages. Next time other browses are gonna sue MS for not being on MS 7 download list. I'm so much impressed that I still can hardly beleive in this.

 

[davehc]

A browser is only a gui to the internet. For the strong in will, and at heart, you can revert to the old dos way of accessing.
For example, if you want to install Firefox, so that things become smoother, you can do this:
It is a long procedure, but is OK if you really have your back to the wall!:

To start FTP, click on the Start menu, then "Run..." and enter:
ftp (or go straight to the Command prompt, run as Administrator, and type ftp)
Then click "OK."
When the ftp prompt appears, type:
open releases.mozilla.org
Then press Enter.
You will be connected to the Mozilla Firefox FTP download site.
Note that you will need to press Enter after every command that follows.
When prompted for your username enter: anonymous As your password enter: your email address
When the ftp prompt reappears enter these commands, one at a time, pressing enter after each one and waiting for a response from the server:
cd pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases
cd latest-2.0
cd win32
Now, to see a list of languages and countries that Firefox is available for, type:
ls
If you live in the United States or you prefer your interface in U.S. English, your next command is:
cd en-US
If you prefer another language, cd to that directory instead.
Next, to find out the name of the current version of the Firefox installer, use one more "ls" command:
ls
This last "ls" command will show you the exact name of the installer for the current version of Firefox 2.0, among other files. You are looking for the filename that ends with .exe. AS OF THIS WRITING, it is:
Firefox Setup 2.0.0.20.exe
But you need to use the ls command to see what the current version is instead of relying on this.
Next, type the command:
binary
To make sure the file is moved as a program and not as a text file, which would ruin it.
Now we need to get it to go to your desktop.'
Fortunately, the desktop "lives" right inside your home folder, so we can use the lcd (Local Change Directory) command to go there:
lcd Desktop
Type:
get "Firefox Setup 2.0.0.20.exe" (If that is the setup program name you found with the ls command. )
(The quotation marks are important!)
The file will take a while to download. On a dialup modem a little longer. When and if the ftp prompt comes back without an error message, type:
quit
You should now find the install on your desktop.

 

[Thomas]

Our government sucks

I have always ran MS software. To put it in simple context. It works !!!!! and when you run all MS software it rocks !!!! If these AXX'S want to compeet then they need to wright cood that is real good and can compeet with MS. All they do is bitch cause they don't know how to make computers do anything. As far as I am conserned they can all FXXX off and they will never get my busniss. GO MS, YOU ARE THE BEST AND WILL ALWAYS BE !!!!

Thomas

And oh yes the government regs can goto HXXX as well

 

[cybercore]

A browser is only a gui to the internet. For the strong in will, and at heart, you can revert to the old dos way of accessing. For example . . .

True for advanced users, but how about one's grandma installing 7? They could spell it in the memo inclosed with 7 though. Indeed, as noticed in this thread, this is an example when a court dicision only makes things worse.

 

[ickymay]

this is just microsoft posturing and when there's enough fuss made they may be "forced" into including a browser or some choices of browser

if that happens strikes me they win the argument

 

[davehc]

True for advanced users, but how about one's grandma installing 7? They could spell it in the memo inclosed with 7 though. Indeed, as noticed in this thread, this is an example when a court dicision only makes things worse.

You are tottally correct. But as this is a help forum I am only pointing to one of several alternatives. If grandma (lol) is capable of buying another OS and installing it, then maybe she will be savvy enough to have a reserve copy of a browser install stashed somewhere.
'
Ickmay's post is hopefully a good forecast. If the European govn't are allowed to get away with this, then where will it stop. Maybe they will consider Paint a monopoly, or Wordpad- a full featured processor.?

 

[cybercore]

You are tottally correct. But as this is a help forum I am only pointing to one of several alternatives. If grandma (lol) is capable of buying another OS and installing it, then maybe she will be savvy enough to have a reserve copy of a browser install stashed somewhere.

About the grandma being savvy enough, I think a user can be so or not. Can't a savvy get in a situuation when he has no browser prepared for his EU 7 ? Of course one can go to an internet cafe to download, but this is sure inconvenient. I mean this is total stupidity to cut essential featues. And amazing MS doesn't come up with this point.

I think it would be enough to simply add alternative browsers bookmarks in IE toolbars.

Ickmay's post is hopefully a good forecast. If the European govn't are allowed to get away with this, then where will it stop. Maybe they will consider Paint a monopoly, or Wordpad- a full featured processor ?

Yes, exactly, it can go to an extent when they sue MS for being the largest manufacturer who need insert a list of alternative systems to chose from right in the beginning of the installation process.

 

[davehc]

. And amazing MS doesn't come up with this point.

I think it would be enough to simply add alternative browsers bookmarks in IE toolbars.



Yes, exactly, it can go to an extent when they sue MS for being the largest manufacturer who need insert a list of alternative systems to chose from right in the beginning of the installation process.

Microsoft are not entirely to blame for this predicament. They are probably getting low on their "Euro- lets sue MS" budget, with one law case after another, and are probably a little p***ed off. Perhaps alternative bowser installs will be in a sub-directory of the DVD.

 

[ickymay]

Microsoft are not entirely to blame for this predicament. They are probably getting low on their "Euro- lets sue MS" budget, with one law case after another, and are probably a little p***ed off. Perhaps alternative bowser installs will be in a sub-directory of the DVD.

well the origonal complaint from Jon von Tetzchner, CEO of opera browser was “We are filing this complaint on behalf of all consumers who are tired of having a monopolist make choices for them,”

and went on to suggest ;
"Opera requests the Commission to implement two remedies to Microsoft™s abusive actions. First, it requests the Commission to obligate Microsoft to unbundle Internet Explorer from Windows and/or carry alternative browsers pre-installed on the desktop. Second, it asks the European Commission to require Microsoft to follow fundamental and open Web standards accepted by the Web-authoring communities. The complaint calls on Microsoft to adhere to its own public pronouncements to support these standards, instead of stifling them with its notorious “Embrace, Extend and Extinguish” strategy. Microsoft’s unilateral control over standards in some markets creates a de facto standard that is more costly to support, harder to maintain, and technologically inferior and that can even expose users to security risks."

all microsoft did was the first bit "unbundle Internet Explorer from Windows" then obviously got bored and didnt read anymore

but ultimately the complaint filed was asking for a bundled choice of browsers for the customer to make their own choices

 

[davehc]

This is a portion of the latest >Technet news letter I have received. I have bolded a significant portion of it.

TechNet Newsletter 23 July 2009:
Dear David,

Firstly, let me just say how overwhelmed I was by the amount of responses that I received to my question about the Windows 7 E editions that ship without a browser. And secondly, apologies that I haven't been able to respond to all of them. We are doing some analysis on your feedback and I hope to be able to provide a response over the coming weeks. In the meantime, read this:
　
What You Need to Know about Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8

Unless you have been hiding from the news in recent weeks, you will probably have heard that, in Europe, Windows 7 will be supplied without a pre-installed web browser. As you may be aware, with Windows 7 it has always been possible to remove Internet Explorer (IE) and this will continue to be the case in other countries outside Europe. This initially caused some confusion, which was compounded when we announced that, because Windows Vista always contains IE, the European versions will not do an in-place upgrade as versions in the rest of the world do. .....

Most UK IT professionals will want to know what they have to do differently as a result? And the answer is, not much, actually. The European position does mean that you must actively ask 'which browser(s) does my company need?' rather than passively accepting the browser in the box. This matters much less to IT professionals than to consumers, assuming they are deploying machines efficiently. For IT pros with more than a couple of computers to deploy there is a good set of free tools which allow you to quickly make your own customised installation image. Unless you are installing on the day of release, you'll probably apply updates to the operating system. For example, on your to-do list there may be Windows settings you want to customise, you may want to add corporate wallpapers or fonts, and there are most likely applications you'll want to install as part of the set-up process. Now, you'll simply need to add 'select a browser' to your to-do list. At the time of writing, the exact process to add Internet Explorer 8 or another browser hasn't been announced, but whichever browser(s) you choose, you should not find the extra step onerous.
.....

Yours sincerely,

James O'Neill
IT Professional Evangelist

　

 

[Master Chief]

How about this. It shouldn't seem too complicated. You get the .exe of another browser from somewhere; an old computer, and old installation, a friend, whatever. You install Windows 7 E. You install the browser. You're done. >_>

 

[cybercore]

Ok, thanks a lot friends, I sure accept that there are ways to install a browser on european 7, and I sure read the Opera's statement about "... Microsoft™s abusive actions," which I still don't see what the abusive actions are ?! I'm trying to answer my own questions:

1. Does Microsoft force customers to use only IE ? Does Microsoft Corporation have the right to distribute 3rd party browsers and other products with its commercial operating systems ? Perhaps not since MS is not obliged to promote, sell, and be responsible for others' products.


2. Does Microsoft in any way obstruct in the way of any 3rd party software, does MS not allow to install other browsers and use them as default ones to view internet and to open online services ? Looks like there is no problem with that at all.


3. How about those customers who would like IE as the integral part of Microsoft OS ? Doesn't MS have the right to include its browser with the Os ? As much as I understand the worth of Opera browser, that much I do not understand their accusations and what goal they're trying to reach - popularise Opera, but are there people really who don't know of Opera software ?


I can sure get why MS behaves that way, if looking at it practically, they probably don't want to spend the money on this case while they will charge the same money for their os anyway. But then Ms better get ready in advance for other software developers' cases, as here comes a good precedent.

 

[rbridgeman]

Looky...

Microsoft's browserless Windows 7 E gets EUthanized