Upon closer inspection, Microsoft's browser ballot proposal for the EU is much more drastic than one would expect. Users will choose from up to 10 different browsers. And it won't be limited to Windows 7 users; the ballot screen will be pushed as an update to current Windows XP and Windows Vista users. PC manufacturers will also have the option of shipping one or more third-party browsers in place of IE8 without fear of retaliation from Microsoft. It's a big change for a company that just last month wanted Windows 7 to be shipped in Europe without Internet Explorer 8 so as to avoid a ballot screen in the first place.

The balloting process will last for five years from the date the European Commission agrees to it, which pushes it into Windows 8 territory. So let's look at the nitty gritty of the browser ballot announced late last week.

The browser ballot screen

As you can see above (the final design may change), the ballot screen will give users who have IE set as the default the opportunity to choose an additional browser to install. Windows users will also be informed that they can turn IE off altogether.

The ballot screen will reside on a Microsoft-maintained website which will be updated monthly. Each column will show the browser's icon, description, and a URL. For each browser, there will be an "Install" link that will download it from the vendor's server. A "Tell me more" link will also send the user offsite to a product page. Downloading and installing a browser from the ballot screen will work the same as any other manual download.

Microsoft says it will distribute the ballot screen software via Windows Update to XP and Vista users within the EU. Those with Windows Update switched off won't encounter the ballot screen. Conversely, the update will be installed automatically for users who have opted into Automatic Updates. It will be rated as "High Priority" for Windows XP users and as "Important" for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users.

After the update is downloaded, users who have IE set as the default browser will see the ballot screen the next time they log in. They'll have the option of downloading and switching immediately, sticking with IE, or postponing the decision indefinitely.

According to Microsoft, the update will be sent out three to six months after the adoption of the European Commission's decision. Windows 7 users will get the ballot screen update by October 22, the day of Windows 7's General Availability, or within two weeks of the EC's decision, whichever comes later.

In the proposal, Microsoft said it may offer tools to volume license users that prevent the ballot screen update from being installed on all computers covered by the license. Users will still be able to manually install browsers in the same way that other software is installed on Windows.

What browsers will be included?

The ballot screen will include the most widely used Windows browsers with a usage share of at least 0.5 percent in the European Economic Area (EEA), based on average monthly browser usage share data updated. In order to appear on the ballot screen, Microsoft will require that vendors not install any additional software with the browsers. Software that keeps the browser up-to-date is the only exception.

No more than one browser can be listed per vendor, no more than 10 individual browsers will be included, and only browsers actively offered by their vendor will be included. The ballot screen won't contain any third-party browser using Internet Explorer's rendering engine (sorry Maxthon users) or that is funded at least in some form by Microsoft.

Beyond the ballot screen

Users will also be able to remove IE8 in the final version of Windows 7 (the beta did not allow this but the RC did), along with many other Windows components. In its proposal, Microsoft points out that this feature is available within the EEA for OEMs to use.

Microsoft also promises that if Internet Explorer is turned off, then its user interface cannot be called upon by applications. There will be no icons, links, or shortcuts left, nor will there be any other way to start an installation of Internet Explorer aside from downloading it. For Windows Vista and successors, Microsoft says it will ensure that the Windows Update online service is not dependent on the Internet Explorer user interface.

Furthermore, the company notes it will not use Windows Update to offer any new version of a Microsoft browser to users within the EEA unless Internet Explorer is turned on. The exception to this rule, Microsoft outlined, was that it can use Windows Update to update those portions of Internet Explorer "other than the browser frame window and menus." This appears to apply primarily to security updates, but also allows for updates to the rendering engine.

The software giant is quite clearly bending over backwards to please European regulators and avoid further billion-dollar antitrust fines. Windows 7 E, which is still on the table if the proposal doesn't go through, is likely to be a much more expensive endeavor than the ballot screen. Microsoft's browser-ballot proposal appears reasonable and thorough, so it's no wonder that the EU seems to be at least initially satisfied with it.