Mozilla Says Microsoft Went Too Far With Windows 10

[IInuyasha74]

Mozilla is unhappy about Windows 10 forcing users to try Bing and the new Edge browser after upgrading, and feels it hampers end-users' ability to choose what programs they want to use.

Mozilla Says Microsoft Went Too Far With Windows 10 : Read more

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

It easily changed back and Edge is pretty decent.

 

[TechyInAZ]

Really Mozilla!?? Your complaining about such a minor issue!?

Just because your browser isn't the default browser doesn't mean it won't be used. I personally use Mozilla Firefox for 50% of my browser time and the rest goes to edge.

Plus, I see lots of people that use Firefox exclusively but have IE as default...

 

[IInuyasha74]

It easily changed back and Edge is pretty decent.

You certainly aren't someone we would expect to have difficulty changing Windows settings either. Someone like my college professors or my mother on the other hand, would be very irritated by not being able to easily change it back to Firefox or w/e they wanted to use.

 

[gangrel]

It's not that it's hard. MS has been slammed before for similar tactics, promoting their tools, and this does have similarities.

What I disliked was the amount of Microsoft bloatware...news, sports, etc. And the way they ram those down your throat on Edge's start page. HECK no, I don't want that. And I agree with Mozilla to a point, about needing to 2-step the preference setting stuff. Still...if you're going to change THAT setting, you may well want to change others (like mail).

 

[ommidiam]

Chrome users shrug and reinstall Chrome. Set it to default during install. Then log back in in less than five minutes. Don't pay for Windows 10 and then complain about it.

 

[n3cw4rr10r]

I have been a chrome user for like a zillion years. I am kinda liking edge.....

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Edge is very quick , been using it.

 

[clonazepam]

I like it the way it is. You open your browser of choice, and get a prompt to set it as default.

Then a learning moment happens. "Oh this magic box has settings I can change to suit my tastes? I shall investigate this." They're given a window of options they wouldn't normally have gone searching for on their own. I imagine that there is that crowd that will think "omg a popup already!" *clicks X* Lives in confusion.

Those people never learned to program VCRs either.

 

[gangrel]

BTW: Mozilla was not completely correct.

If you choose Express Settings during the upgrade, Edge becomes your default browser. If you revert to Microsoft's recommendations...Edge becomes the default. (That should surprise no one.) But if you choose the Customize options...which I always have...you can turn off the default browser selection, and use whatever your current browser is.

Another thought. The default browser selector shows ALL your installed browsers. So you can turn off the "make this your default browser?" permanently in all of them where it's needed...and just do it here. That makes more sense, and will work better for us once we get used to it.

 

[fixxxer113]

I think that this argument would be valid several years ago, when the average user didn't even know what a browser is, let alone that there are alternative ones. Nowadays, even the most casual user is aware of at least Chrome and Firefox. And they use these browsers mostly because other people keep telling them that they are better than IE.

Personally, I use Chrome because when I first used it, it was miles ahead from IE and I just stuck with it. If Edge works well I might use that too. As for Firefox, I will start using it again when - especially on slower machines - I don't have to wait until my kid goes to college before the browser starts up and loads a page...

 

[QSV]

There are much bigger issues. Like the data mining of users. Have you read the official list of data that gets collected and transmitted to MS? Passwords (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), emails (!!!!!!!!!!!!), instant messages (!!!!!!!!!!), your name, address, EVERYTHING.
Why isnt anyone complaining about that? Are they all braindead? Nobody has learned anything from the last 2 years?
Unbelievable...

 

[nukemaster]

They type of users who cannot change the browser defaults are not likely Mozilla users anyway.

As ommidiam, If a user does not know how, Installing the browser again should give an option to default it. They had to use another browser when the downloaded Firefox the first time.

This is a very strange thing to complain about. I have a feeling hating Windows 10 is just the latest internet trend. Some user may have a reason while others just go along with it.

On the data mining front. Look at how much cell phones already do this.

 

[nosmon]

There are much bigger issues. Like the data mining of users. Have you read the official list of data that gets collected and transmitted to MS? Passwords (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), emails (!!!!!!!!!!!!), instant messages (!!!!!!!!!!), your name, address, EVERYTHING.
Why isnt anyone complaining about that? Are they all braindead? Nobody has learned anything from the last 2 years?
Unbelievable...

Are you using Google products? Because if your response is "Yes", I can't understand your complains, seriously.

Google is the biggest brother out there.

 

[ohim]

I like MS`s new system to make default applications, this way a user that is not paying attention when installing stuff won`t have his default rights hijacked.

Mozilla is just trying to make some fuss around their name. It was stupid in the past to make MS put ballot screen to choose from web browsers ... by the same thinking MS should have been forced to make ballot screens for every app like Media player / video editing etc etc ... The new system is just fine and you can change defaults with just 3 clicks Settings > System > Default apps ... or press Settings > type default and enter .. same thing.

 

[somebodyspecial]

Really Mozilla!?? Your complaining about such a minor issue!?

Just because your browser isn't the default browser doesn't mean it won't be used. I personally use Mozilla Firefox for 50% of my browser time and the rest goes to edge.

Plus, I see lots of people that use Firefox exclusively but have IE as default...

You're missing the point. Why is MSFT changing my settings at all when upgrading? They are acting like a MONOPOLIST AGAIN (as they were guilty and convicted of before).

I guess you won't get the point until Firefox=Netscape etc... It isn't about whether EDGE is good or not. It's about making the decision that I have to see it FOR ME, and WITHOUT my consent and some may really not know how to change it back, in which case - mission accomplished for MSFT. They are using their OS to gain browser share (AGAIN). They should have been broken up the first time they were guilty...They're doing the same by giving away windows, in hopes to stop the march of Android/ARM into their world (along with attempting to make DX12 default before Vulkan hits on other platforms)...Here we go again. You don't seem to understand how this affects millions of potential users (maybe even devs), in many different ways and further pushing the MSFT agenda. Many of these people would NEVER have chosen to see edge, and look at the effect on you stating you use it 50% of the time. You are the exact case they are complaining about here. Many wouldn't ever see it, and MSFT couldn't do this without the OS upgrade.

If the OS/Office/Entertainment divisions were 3 companies, nobody could force DX12, Edge, etc on you easily. But I digress...Can't say I blame them for using their monopoly, just saying it isn't legal And SHOULDN'T BE either.

In regards to other posters, installing firefox/chrome was just a button on a website most pushed. For many that is EASY (even the less techy among us can do this). Many that pushed those buttons (or others) have no idea what windows settings are etc and likely the most often among us who hit DEFAULT/Express and never look back (customize? that could take me ages...NEXT...ROFL). As an IT person, I have seen things that boggle my mind for a sec before I realize, oh yeah, this is my JOB, not the users. IE, I'm sure I boggle the mind of my mechanic with some of my questions when I bring my car in sometimes...LOL. My job is not fixing cars It doesn't make me stupid (maybe ignorant to some extent), it just means I have ZERO interest in learning about a car. I would say something different 30yrs ago, but today not worth learning something I probably can't fix with dad's old tools (oil, etc about it now for me). Many I face in IT talk the same way about their PC (users I mean).

 

[BrandonYoung]

Crap, its 1998 again.

 

[abbadon_34]

Those people never learned to program VCRs either.

So true! Puts it all in perspective.

 

[dusty13]

if you are not able to click one button that opens a windows and select "webbrowser" from the list there to choose the browser you want to use, you should never ever install any programs on your pc ... ever. best not to use it at all to be honest.

all the change did was unify the way standard programs are selected, and in my opinion that was overdue for a long time now.

the one click to standard-browser function has been nothing but abused over the last years.

finally there is no way anymore for every single freeware program out there to shove google chrome down your throat with pre-selected install and standard-browser checkboxes if you are not extremely careful.

that alone is a huge win. not having to switch my mothers laptop off of chrome every other week so she has her fafourites again? great! go microsoft!

 

[blazorthon]

If this is done in the EU, then Microsoft had better have a damn good excuse for the courts that they're certain to be called to.

On one hand, it doesn't really matter unless you typically open a browser from links and such rather than its icon on the desktop, task bar, etc. On the other, WTF is Microsoft thinking, changing settings for people?

Edge could be ten times better than all alternatives in every way, if someone doesn't want to use it, they shouldn't need to change/choose the setting just to be able to use something else when they've already made that setting previously. They certainly shouldn't have to jump through hoops for it.

 

[BrandonYoung]

The default Windows 10 browser is created by Microsoft? This is an outrage.

Mozilla just needs to make their own OS. Fire with fire and all that.

 

[gadgety]

So the EU should just repeat its 2013 fine on Nadella's Microsoft for trying to circumvent anti trust laws:

"The European Union fined Microsoft Corp 561 million euros ($731 million) on Wednesday for failing to offer users a choice of Web browser, an unprecedented sanction that will act as a warning to other firms involved in EU antitrust disputes."

 

[Hagaxe]

The default Windows 10 browser is created by Microsoft? This is an outrage.

Mozilla just needs to make their own OS. Fire with fire and all that.

One does not simply out-microsoft Microsoft. They won't have DX and all the other MS bullshit that is required for almost any program.

 

[jungleboogiemonster]

I tried Edge, but it's lack of ad blocking made me go back to Chrome. I was a bit surprised that Windows 10 made Edge my default browser, but as others mentioned, it's easy enough to change back for some of us. As others pointed out, if this happened to certain groups, like many parents and grandparents, they would have been lost and confused.

 

[tomfreak]

When u have an Atom machine or AMD E350 that have slower single threaded performance, then u know how shitty Mozilla is. Chrome& IE handle multi-thread far better that Firefox.