Microsoft decides not to push Windows 7E on Europe, after all

In the latest twist in its antitrust battle in Europe, it now looks like Microsoft is leaning away from delivering its browser-less version of Windows, Windows 7E at all.

Just two weeks ago, Microsoft officials said the company was giving in to the European Commission's proposal that Microsoft provide a "browser ballot" screen to European users, providing them with a choice of browsers. At that time, Microsoft execs said they still planned to go forward with their Windows 7E plan -- via which PC makers an retailers would be required to provide a browser-less version of Windows 7 -- at least until the European Commissioners said they'd accept Microsoft's version of the ballot-screen proposal. If and when Microsoft got the EC nod, Microsoft would drop Windows 7E and provide resellers with the regular version of Windows 7 that the rest of the world is getting.

But on July 31, Microsoft switched gears and said it had decided against providing PC makers or retailers with the Windows 7E at all. (They did remind folks that if the EC ends up not going with the proposed ballot-screen that Microsoft still plans to foist Windows 7E on PC makers and consumers.)

The company's reasons for the latest switch are telling. From an "On the Issues" blog posting (at 8:20 p.m. ET last Friday) from Vice President and Deputy General Counsel David Heiner:

"One reason we decided not to ship Windows 7 E is concerns raised by computer manufacturers and partners. Several worried about the complexity of changing the version of Windows that we ship in Europe if our ballot screen proposal is ultimately accepted by the Commission and we stop selling Windows 7 E. Computer manufacturers and our partners also warned that introducing Windows 7 E, only to later replace it with a version of Windows 7 that includes IE, could confuse consumers about what version of Windows to buy with their PCs.

"The Commission also previously expressed concerns about Windows 7 E. In a statement the day after I outlined our plans for Windows 7 E, the Commission clarified that it believes 'consumers should be offered a choice of browser, not that Windows should be supplied without a browser at all.'"

PC makers hated Microsoft's Windows 7E plan. The EC hated it. European consumers, as soon as they found out the new hoops they had to jump through to get on the Internet, were going to hate it.

Is there anyone who still doubts that Microsoft's 7E plan was a stroke of diabolical genius, and designed to force the Commission's hand -- and had nothing to do with Microsoft wanting to do the "right" thing?

In any case, Microsoft has put the ball back in the EC's court. It will be interesting to see whether the EC is satisfied with Microsoft's version of the browser-ballot proposal or requires any modifications to it before the two parties come to some kind of settlement over the Opera-instigated browser-bundling case.