EU Internet Explorer row means Windows 7 bargain for Brits
The row between the European Union and Microsoft may have caused extensive hassles, but it could be good news for British Windows users. The Internet Explorer squabblings appear to be the reason for a surprisingly low price for the full retail version of Windows 7 in the country.
The list price for Windows 7 Home Premium (the version of choice for most home users) in the UK is £150, which was reduced to £50 during the limited time “pay now, get later” deal. However, Amazon is now listing the system at £63.99 (US$105) and says that price applies indefinitely. With another online retailer, Play.com, listing it at £75 with free delivery, it looks likely that the wholesale price has been drastically reduced in the U.K.
Amazon notes that all editions of Windows 7 currently being sold in EU countries are the full retail version rather than upgrades which require a previous edition of Windows.
That appears to be because at one stage a special edition of Windows 7 was created for Europe without a web browser, thanks to Microsoft taking what it incorrectly thought was an acceptable response to EU concerns over bundling Internet Explorer. While Amazon stresses that information is subject to change, it is working on the basis that Windows 7 sold to British customers will include Internet Explorer after all.
CNET UK, which first noticed the low pricing, speculates that Microsoft may have at some point lowered the wholesale cost of Windows 7 to reflect the extra hassle customers would have to go through in performing a clean install even on Vista machines, and in getting hold of a new browser. The site says Microsoft may have decided to honor that reduced price even after Internet Explorer was reinstated.
It’s a very rare case where British buyers have the chance to buy a U.S.-made product at a lower price than across the Atlantic. For Brits planning to buy Windows 7, it seems a deal worth taking up. While the price may not leap up later, it’s incredibly unlikely you’ll be able to get the system any cheaper from now on, particularly if you are planning to make the leap from XP. There’s a slim possibility you might wind up with a copy with no browser, but the hassle of copying an installation program onto a USB stick or CD before setting up Windows 7 is pretty bearable at this price.
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