Microsoft May Have to Let Users Choose Browser

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"one of the proposed solutions by the EU was to offer users of newly purchased PCs a kind of “ballot screen” and let the customer choose which browser they wanted to use."



Thats silly, if people arent savvy enough to switch to another browser, what difference would a ballot make?
 
Here. Please tell the EU that if they decide to make Microsoft deliver software for a rival company in Safari, Firefox, or Chrome then Microsoft will decide to stop selling and supporting software in Europe. Good luck businesses and governments that rely on Windows.
 
[citation][nom]tayb[/nom]Here. Please tell the EU that if they decide to make Microsoft deliver software for a rival company in Safari, Firefox, or Chrome then Microsoft will decide to stop selling and supporting software in Europe. Good luck businesses and governments that rely on Windows.[/citation]
notice that more and more government agencies in europe are ditching windows in favor of linux so the "punishment" is not heavy...
 
A lot of people don't realise there are other options out there. For ages my friend's mother was using IE ("the internet" as she called it). When I downloaded firefox for her she said she was "using a different internet now and it works better." Some of the not so tech-savvy really have no idea what's available to them.
 
Um, how would anyone be able to download a different browser if IE wasn't included in the first place? I don't see a damn thing wrong with offering people out-of-the-box internet connectivity. Allowing you to remove it from your system altogether...that's something that could probably be included. And I agree that Apple should also have to follow the same rules then. I want the ability to uninstall Safari because I like IE8. /BS
 
Really stupid, as a tech support agent, I can just imagine the number of calls going up for the company I work for and Microsoft support. For Microsoft support there will be ton of client complaining about not supporting the other browser. Extremely stupid, never seen that before.
 
[citation][nom]Daggs[/nom]notice that more and more government agencies in europe are ditching windows in favor of linux so the "punishment" is not heavy...[/citation]

LOL. Linux is making progress but I hope you don't honestly believe what you just typed.
 
It's also not really fair to Microsoft because it essentially forces them to support browsers they have nothing to do with.
 
Personally I don't even want IE installed on my machine new or old give me the option to un-install Microsoft IE.
 
[citation][nom]farago343[/nom]It's also not really fair to Microsoft because it essentially forces them to support browsers they have nothing to do with.[/citation]

You used the words "Microsoft" and "fair" in the same sentence. LOL
 
That's like buying a Ford, but insisting on a Chevy radio in it, or a Pontiac grill. Microsoft, the vendor, offers "The Product" for sale. You either buy "The Product," or you do not. The choice is entirely up to you. If you don't like some portion of "The Product," the onus is on you to investigate alternatives, or possibly pay a third party to do something about it for you.
 
The EU needs to smarten up. Users have the complete freedom to select their browser by simply downloading it and instlaling it.

If Microsoft disabled the ability to install other browsers...sure...complain away...

Need we remember how the EU screwed with Windows Vista (and now 7) by not allowing microsoft to lock the kernal. So esencially instead of us getting a PC that is not vulnerable to any really big problem virii, we get a PC that is just as vulnerable because in order for antivirus software to work you cannot lock down the kernal. This was the EU's fault that we didn't get a more secure OS.

The EU needs to stop thinking about how to increase their budget and needs to start thinking about the users in this whole ordeal. The users are certainly NOT their concern. Once again a government body more concerned with lining its own pockets than protecting the consumer.

If a company has a monopoly it is because they have a better product, it has nothing to do unfair business practices. You cannot survive with a crappy product even if you do have unfair business practices.

This is no different than the useless move to aid auto companies to survive their own mistakes. Sure jobs would be lost...but in the end there would be innnovation and far more jobs created. Loss now...mega gain later...but no, lets have government involvement and slow down progress to a dead crawl.

My rant for the day.
 
One thing EU should do is stop trying to be a smartass and ask the consumers throughout their member nations about this proposal.

They claim to be acting for the people, but I don't see them consulting ordinary folks in Berlin, London and Paris.

Or maybe EU is just full of shit like always.
 
[citation][nom]leo2kp[/nom]Um, how would anyone be able to download a different browser if IE wasn't included in the first place?[/citation]
By using a download tool like, wget, ftp, scp, etc. I don't know why you think you need a web browser to do this. The same tool that gives folks the choice to download can use those protocols to get it.
 
How does any government tell a company that makes a product that they should somehow link, connect, install, offer, whatever words you wish to use, a competing product within their own!? I don't believe the EU is looking out for consumer protection. I believe they have major control and financial issues. I don't believe very many copies of WinXP N sold. The consumers did not want that crap.
 
If you offer the choice, where does it stop? Just putting in IE and firefox would make Google cry that they're not in the list. And then Opera would cry, then some totally obscure browser would cry and we'd have a million choices of crappy browsers...
 
Why would consumers be against a free, bundled browser? As long as I can go ahead and install OTHER browsers whenever I want to and none of them impede upon the use of the other browsers, then what's the problem?

 
"That said, if they’re going to make Microsoft offer users the chance to choose, they’d have to insist Apple do the same."

I'm not sure that Apple would be considered the same as Microsoft on this one. Apple only sells their OS (bundled with their web browser) for use on their hardware. They sell a total package, plus they have only a fraction of the market share. Microsoft's model is to sell the OS (bundled with their web browser) to pretty much every system builder. System builders have the option to install/uninstall features as they see fit for their pre-configured systems. If there was a huge public outcry for HP or Dell systems (for example) to have Firefox or Chrome installed from the factory, they already would be. Unless the EU can prove that MS is coercing system builders in some way to not do that, I'm not sure how this is Microsoft's fault or problem. If system builders are simply choosing not to, uncoerced, than the market has spoken, so what's the problem?
 
Go Go Go Europe! Make Microsoft fight for browser market share, make them innovate and perfect if they want market share. They simply have double digit worth of market share simply because they bundle their browser, not because it's better than competing browsers.

I always used alternate browsers or tried them, I'm a FireFox user now, I was a Netscape 3.0 and 4.0 user, but I also used IE 4 over Netscape back in the days simply because it was better and faster at that time.

EU somehow does the right thing, in order for web standards to take place over quirky implementations, there needs to be strong competition in the browser market.



 
[citation][nom]JMcEntegart[/nom]A lot of people don't realise there are other options out there. For ages my friend's mother was using IE ("the internet" as she called it). When I downloaded firefox for her she said she was "using a different internet now and it works better." Some of the not so tech-savvy really have no idea what's available to them.[/citation]
I %100 agree... im sure a lot of us can relate this to our parents. Imagine now for one moment.. mom & dad spend $1500 and bring home a new Dell, first boot up they are asked "what internet browser would you like installed? IE, Firefox, Crome, Etc." They will be SOOO confused, whats the point... give them IE, if they want to change they can... AND it's free! so are the others!

[citation][nom]jtt283[/nom]That's like buying a Ford, but insisting on a Chevy radio in it, or a Pontiac grill. Microsoft, the vendor, offers "The Product" for sale. You either buy "The Product," or you do not. The choice is entirely up to you. If you don't like some portion of "The Product," the onus is on you to investigate alternatives, or possibly pay a third party to do something about it for you.[/citation]
true that!
 
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