Python preinstalled on Windows - looking for details

[Peter Hansen]

Skip Montanaro wrote:
> 
> It appears that HP and perhaps some other computer manufacturers who deliver
> Windows systems have begun delivering systems with Python pre-installed.
> We've begun to get frequent questions about this at the webmaster at python.org
> email address.  I contacted HP about this, but have so far received no firm
> details about why Python is installed or what applications on their boxes
> use it.  It's not clear how to respond to people who ask, "What's this
> Python thing?  Can I delete it?", other than to say, "No, you probably
> shouldn't delete it.".
> 
> If you have any details about who in the Windows world preinstalls Python
> and what they use it for, please let me know.  I'd like to add a question to
> the Python FAQ, but would like some details.

Maybe get someone who has purchased such a machine to contact HP
tech-support and ask some similar questions.  Something like "I found
this Python stuff on my machine and thought maybe my kid put it there.  
Can I safely delete it to free up hard drive space?  Will that break
anything and, if so, what?"

-Peter