Microsoft Corp said Today it would ship the newest version of its Windows operating system in Europe without its Internet Explorer web browser, in a move to counter European regulators' concerns that the company unfairly forces out competition from other browser makers, according to Reuters. The apparent climbdown comes shortly before the European Commission is due to rule on antitrust charges brought against Microsoft in January, claiming that the world's largest software company abuses its dominant position by bundling its Internet Explorer browser, shielding it from head-to-head competition with rival products. Until now, Microsoft has claimed that the browser was an integral part of the operating system and should not be pulled out;, but it now plans to do that for a European version of Windows 7, due to be rolled out later this year. "To ensure that Microsoft is in compliance with European law, Microsoft will be releasing a separate version of Windows 7 for distribution in Europe that will not include Windows Internet Explorer," the software maker said in a memo which was made public by technology news site CNET on Thursday. Microsoft confirmed the authenticity of the memo. Microsoft's move could be a boon for competing browsers, such as Google Inc's Chrome, Mozilla's Firefox and Opera.
