IE is to Windows as Webkit is to iOS; it's componentised HTML rendering.
The whole browser choice lawsuit business was strange; it was far from the worst bit of anti-competitive behaviour, and has been superceded by closed platforms on phones. The "halloween" documents and funding of SCO were more objectionable to me.
There was a backstory. Janet Reno's DoJ forced Microsoft to sign a consent decree that forbade them from tieing products to Windows but allowed them to add functionality to Windows. Therefore, IE had to be a feature of Windows not a separate bundled product.
Otherwise, in the eventual anti-trust trial, Microsoft won the browser case 2-1 on appeal.
The whole browser choice lawsuit business was strange; it was far from the worst bit of anti-competitive behaviour, and has been superceded by closed platforms on phones. The "halloween" documents and funding of SCO were more objectionable to me.