Pick Your Browser: Microsoft Shows Off Ballot

[JMcEntegart]

Which browser would you choose?

Pick Your Browser: Microsoft Shows Off Ballot : Read more

 

[mianmian]

Do we care what browser Mac use in a Windows world?

 

[flyinfinni]

I think its Microsoft's software, why can't they bundle their software? If people want to get rid of IE, they should be able to, and they should be able to download and use a different browser. If you don't like how Microsoft does things, don't buy their software, or don't use it and download what you want. If you are going to force this kind of thing though, do it consistently and make Apple give a choice too since right now, they have everything bundled together.

 

[jacobdrj]

Can Safari be removed from OSX?
Isn't the question asked in a twisted way? 'Is it fair?' Apple's whole business model is about removing as much user choice and flexibility as possible to minimize user error and therefore improve the perception of stability and usability.
Besides, MS only created the ballot because the EU twisted their arms.
A more appropriate question would be:
"Is it fair that these 5 major browsers get preferential treatment to any new developing ones?"

 

[Guest]

i think what i am seeing here should get no complaints from any of the browser companies, it seems completely fair in how its implemented.

 

[sot010174]

I still don't agree with MSFT marketing third party apps. As someone said before, maybe during the installation of the OS they should advertize Mac OS X and Ubuntu.

 

[4ILY45]

Yes it's fair... Apple can kiss my a$$ for not having flash..

& Jane will they release the results form the ballots. which is more popular the the other..
BTW Firefox 3.6 FTW!!

 

[Guest]

i need a ballot screen for notepad app, calculator app, paint app, defrag app, ......

 

[noodlegts]

I think it's total crap.

Why should Microsoft have to offer you a competitor's product? Internet Explorer is a feature that Microsoft includes for free. If you don't like it, then don't use it. I don't see what the big deal is. I dare the EU to present ONE other instance where a company is forced to market their competitors' products.

I'm all for competition, but this is going too far.

 

[sheravi]

I don't understand why this is such an issue. MS doesn't prevent anyone from installing another browser on the system. Also, all these browsers are free, yes? Then who gives a crap whether one is used over another. There's no fighting over money here, just claims that they have the most popular browser.

 

[zak_mckraken]

Tgis issue was stupid back then and it still is. But, yeah, since Apple have a monopoly with Mac OS on Apple computers, they should be forced to do the same thing with the browser. After all, isn't the purpose of this fight top give users the absolute choice?

 

[Guest]

Double standard, the iphone os should also be forced to offer a choice of browsers.

 

[stige]

What date is Apple being forced to roll this out for OSX?

Oh, right. They're NOT.

EU = money grabbing hypocrites.

 

[felipetga]

Eventually the EU should treat Apple the same way. I hope so.

 

[marius-x]

DEFINITELY NOT FAIR!
Apple should also follow the same treatment!

 

[noodlegts]

FOR EXAMPLE:

Is it fair that you can ONLY use iTunes to sync your music to your iPOD? I for one would love to use Windows Media Player for that, but it's not an option (that's why I bought a Zune). I'm pretty sure that by EU standards Apple has a monopoly on mp3 players.

 

[marius-x]

[citation][nom]stige[/nom] EU = money grabbing hypocrites.[/citation]

i'd say EU = Money SUCKING Suckers

 

[Guest]

Ugh. I think I'm gonna get rid of the internet.

 

[xrarey]

[citation][nom]jacobdrj[/nom]Can Safari be removed from OSX?Isn't the question asked in a twisted way? 'Is it fair?' Apple's whole business model is about removing as much user choice and flexibility as possible to minimize user error and therefore improve the perception of stability and usability.Besides, MS only created the ballot because the EU twisted their arms. A more appropriate question would be:"Is it fair that these 5 major browsers get preferential treatment to any new developing ones?"[/citation]

I completely agree.

 

[invlem]

Microsoft makes no attempt to prevent me from installing a different browser, I have the freedom to do so whenever I want... So again I don't see the point of any of this.

Honestly, without sounding overly condescending, the people this 'option screen' is targeting probably don't know/care about the alternative browsers and quite frankly this will confuse them more so than just giving them the default they're used to. Anyone with some computer savvy skills will have picked their preferred browser by now and if not, they have the ability to do it if they so choose.

 

[azgard]

This is actually pretty stupid, most people when they purchase a computer do it through an OEM, leave it to the OEM to do this they are in a much more flexible position to do this. As for retail copies, I think most people that are ever going to be in a position to install a retail copy are going to find this ballot screen an extra useless step.

 

[SchizoFrog]

In my opinion I think too many people on here are looking at things from the wrong angle. Apple should NOT have to do this... Microsoft should NOT have to do this either. If everyone is made to do a bad thing does that justify the action and make it good? NO! But this is the real world and especially in the world of business, things are not fair. Who cares? You know the rules... play the game. Asking questions of fairness is absolute nonsense.

 

[dman3k]

I don't know how EU can make an example of the a company like Microsoft and yet not make it a rule for everyone else.

Yes, Microsoft is guilty of monopolizing the browser space; but so is Google and Apple. Why not bust them too?

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

apple is a joke!

 

[davendork]

Do people who can't figure out how to install a third-party browser after the Windows install completes need a prompted choice? Some of these other (not IE) browsers have other stumbling blocks. Remember when it wasn't so easy to install Flash in FireFox unless you installed it outside of the broswer before going to a Flash enabled site? There are still a significant number of people on the internet using IE 6. They either don't know what browser they are using or are on a locked-down corporate desktop or don't understand there's a security issue around using an antique browser.