Microsoft hedges its Windows 7 bets with new IE 8 ‘removal’ option

by admin March 5, 2009 at 7:28 pm

Microsoft has taken another step to hedge its Windows bets in case the European Commission lowers the boom on Redmond’s browser-bundling practices.

With the current Windows 7 Build (No. 7048) that is circulating among selected testers, Microsoft is making it possible for Internet Explorer 8 to be removed from the Windows operating system, according to the AeroXperience site, and other testers with whom I’ve spoken.

“Removing” here is somewhat of a loaded — and perhaps overzealous — word. Microsoft can easily remove the IE 8 browser from startup. But over the past few years, the company has integrated the guts of IE into the operating system.

Read more: ZDNet.com