BBC NEWS | Technology | No IE onboard Windows 7 in Europe: “Which begs the question…?”

What will Windows 7 users use to download a browser, any browser, if there isn’t an internet browser bundled with the operating system?

Will Microsoft sneak in an application that pops up after install saying “would you like to download an Internet Browser Now?’, and if yes is clicked it downloads Internet Explorer 8?

And then there is the question of file browsers. Up until now Internet Explorer has been an integral part of Windows, tied inextricably into the heart of the operating system. It’s used by the file browser, by Outlook and until recently Outlook Express. The major reason why it is very difficult to un-install and a big contributing factor to the susceptibility of Windows to attacks from the internet.

It’s worth mentioning here that while Apple bundles Safari with OS X, it’s not impossible to ignore it completely or even un-install it.

Further developments on this story will be worth watching.