Microsoft’s Engineering Windows 7 Blog posted details on some of the new features users will see in the release candidate version of Windows 7. One of the more interesting notes is the expansion of the “Windows Features” control panel, which allows users to enable or disable certain functionality within Windows 7. Along with the typical applications listed in Vista and Windows 7 Beta version, the list has been expanded to include the following applications:
- Windows Media Player
- Windows Media Center
- Windows DVD Maker
- Internet Explorer 8
- Windows Search
- Handwriting Recognition (through the Tablet PC Components option)
- Windows Gadget Platform
- Fax and Scan
- XPS Viewer and Services (including the Virtual Print Driver)
No, you did not misread the list. Microsoft is indeed allowing its users to disable Internet Explorer 8 along with Windows Media Player, Windows Search, Windows Media Center and more. Microsoft does clarify that “disabling” does not equate with “removal” — the application’s components will remain an integral part of the operating system and can not be removed. This is not the complete removal option many have been waiting for Microsoft to implement but it is, nonetheless, a step in the right direction.
