Microsoft has acknowledged recent findings that, starting with the next major test release of Windows 7, users will be able to remove Internet Explorer 8 from the operating system. The company published a new post on its Engineering Windows 7 blog today confirming this along with other features users would be able to turn on and off in the control panel.
This includes nearly all major components in Windows, including Media Player, Media Center, Windows Search, and so on - just uncheck the undesired feature and it's gone. Likewise, the features can easily be added back to Windows 7 without popping in the installation disc. Overall, this looks like a smart move from Microsoft which lets them include everything they want in their OS while avoiding antitrust complaints at the same time. Check out more details and an extended list of features that can be turned off and on here.