Are you a Microsoft Windows owner that has left behind Internet Explorer for Mozilla Firefox, Opera, or some other third-party Internet browser? If so, you've probably noticed that it's very difficult -- if not impossible for most users -- to turn off IE in current versions of the Windows operating system.
The inability to remove IE has gotten Microsoft into legal trouble with several governments, and the Redmond-based company hopes to avoid the problem when it releases its latest Windows OS.
Windows 7, Vista's successor, will have an option so IE can be disabled, with the feature starting as early as the Windows 7 Release Candidate, Microsoft said.
Along with IE, Windows 7 RC users will be able to disable Windows Media Player, Windows Search, Windows Media Center and several other additions that many users find they do not need.
"For Windows 7 we’ve engineered a more significant list of features and worked to balance that list in light of the needs of the broad Windows platform as well," Microsoft said in a blog post. "We want to provide choice while also making sure we do not compromise on compatibility by removing APIs provided for developers. We also want to strike the right balance for consumers in providing choice and balancing compatibility with applications and providing a consistent Windows experience."
The decision, rather than to appease Windows users, has been added to keep Microsoft off the radar of U.S. antitrust regulators and European regulators who grew increasingly frustrated with the way Microsoft bundles its programs directly into the OS. Microsoft eventually was forced to remove its media player for certain versions of the OS sold in EU, with the company hoping its check-box will eliminate any future legal issues.
