Why isn't MSE shipped with Windows 7?

As good as MSE performs as an antivirus, why does Windows 7 systems ship with Norton and other products such as Windows Defender? If they can ship Defender, why can't they include MSE and drop the rest, to make a total package, a superior OS with antivirus included.

My opinion
For example, why the big fuss over Internet Explorer being shipped with Windows 7?

Besides you are looking at a Manufacturer package not Windows 7. The manufacturer added the extras that you are talking about.

Windows Defender is the only thing shipped with Windows 7. And many people fuss about Windows Defender being integrated. You should be asking HP not Microsoft why they didn't include MSE.

You're right, Microsoft didn't build the computer, HP did. They are the ones who added the bloatware. Mabye I should make my question in a more clear manner. Why doesn't MSE ship with Windows 7, to create a total package, the OS and anti virus together? If they can include Windows Defender, they can include MSE. That should make my question more clear. I know that HP, Dell and all other OEM's ship extras with the computer, some programs useful, some junk as well.

Most commercial builds these days such as Dell, Lenovo, HP, Compaq, Gateway, etc., come with software supplied by various software vendors. The vendors pay a small fee to the builders, this helps to reduce the cost of mfg. to the company and the end-buyer.

All this "junk" some affectionately call "bloatware" or "crapware". Because all it does is take up space on the hard drive and desktop. There are some applications out there that eliminate the junk; one is called PC Decrappifier.

It's just as easy to download MSE if one wants it. I believe MS left it out to avoid any whining and lawsuits in Europe. Most the AV companies seem to be based in Central and Eastern Europe.

Nibiru, imo, hits the nail on the head. It is 1. A matter of financial favours and 2. The consyant harrassment Microsoft are getting, which does not bode well for future development of their built in programs, over so called "monopoly rights" etc.
I am watching the next 4 year up to Windos 8 (or whatever) with cynicism. Now Paint is becoming more sophisticated, followed by wordpad and the extremely goo Live writer ( A free download, I know) How long before the big guns such as Corel etc get into the attack. The lis could go on. Why should Microsoft be allowed to have a totally free Backup program, or defragmentation program, when one is free to purchase them. LOL
Sorry to rant. It is a subject closed to my heart. Oddly (I am not a Linux user) but I seem to recall, when I last experimented about two years ago, that Firefox came, not "built in" as such, but ready for use after the install?? No complaints there, apparently, from Opera etc??

I started this post for two valid reasons 1) MSE is an excellent anti virus that is a Microsoft product. 2) Whether it is true or not, Microsoft gets the blame for the viruses and the rise of all of the anti virus companies (paid & free), so they could put a stop to the problems that a lot of people places on their shoulders to begin with. I don't know if it's true or not, but it's been said that Mac and Linux are virus free. If that is true, then Microsoft would simply be fixing their own vulnerabilities by including anti virus in their product. After all, Microsoft has over 90% of the world's computing market, and that's not going to change.

There are quite a few "googles" on the subject, but at the moment, the threat to Linux users is not so great. One reason, of course, is that as Linux is totally open anyway, it isn,t much of a challenge to try and cripple it. In contrast, anything that Microsoft produce, gets the hackers excited - they regard it as a challenging race..

I have heard that a MAC is easier to infect and hack than Windows. The reason, I believe, that the vast majority of viruses, trojans, malware, etc. are aimed at Windows is because the much better chance of a return on time spent.

Say you're duck hunting and 93 ducks fly overhead, of course you going to take shots and probably drop quite a few ducks, versus when 5 ducks fly overhead and the possibility of not hitting one.
(I know it's not a perfect analogy, but it works! Hope there aren't any PETA people looking! )

Yeah, them PETA people takes these things seriously at times, it seems like to them like animals take priority over people, but that's another thread starting here. I understand your reasoning, though. The virus and malware writers like to take shots at the bigger target, that's us. That's all the reason more that MSE should be shipped with Windows 7, to keep us safe.