Up with this we will not put - Churchill
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Microsoft starts advertising alternative web browsers
STARTING TODAY Microsoft is legally bound to advertise alternatives to its Internet Explorer (IE) web browser, following an agreement reached with the European Competition Commission (ECC) last December.
The ECC's case has been running since 2008 and Microsoft finally signed on the dotted line on 16 December to offer alternative browsers from 1 March. The case was instigated by the ECC in a bid to break up the Vole's monopolistic abuse in the web browser market and encourage free consumer choice and innovation.
The ECC's website states that Microsoft agreed to remove barriers to competition and is mandated by the legislation for five years. What must be particularly galling for the Vole is that it has to advertise a web browser 'Choice Screen' where users can choose one of at least 12 browsers, including Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Opera, Sleipnir, Green Browser, Maxthon, Avant, Flock, K-meleon, and Slim.
Punters with IE as their default web browser and who chose 'automatically accept Windows updates' will be automatically directed to the 'Choice Screen'. If they did not choose to have software updates automatically installed, then they will be offered an option to decide whether want to receive the Choice Screen update.
The browser choice software will be installed via Windows Update and users will get a message stating, "An important choice to make: your browser." An information button will be displayed to give users a feature rundown of the optional web browsers available and, if they see anything they like, there's an install tab as well.
Just how much this scheme will eat into the Vole's currently estimated 60 per cent web browser market share is debatable, however it was not so long ago that its web browser market share was about 90 per cent.
More importantly, though, Microsoft has been held to account over its monopolistic market dominance. µ
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Does Apple have to advertise different browsers?
If not WHY NOT?
Also this mandatory update is hell for SOHO administrators who have to look over multiple sites as users now think its a good idea to install other browsers which dont work and then wonder why.
Its just a load of rubbish, you get the chance to use other browsers by simple installations and simple means to make them default so whats the reason for this other than the EU trying to pull money out of Microsoft AGAIN...
The most obvious issue with IE as default has always been how websites wrote their stuff around expecting IE, and often used activex, and that is just annoying as hell and I'm glad that has been on the way out, although even now gigabyte motherboards for instance come with a software update utility which runs in a webbrowser using.. activex and only works in IE, NO GIGABYTE NO NO NO NO.
(I know there's an activeX addon for firefox but I'd sooner burn my computer than installing activex in any other browser)
But at least you can do bank business in something else, even though when there is a site issue and you inquire they often say 'what browser do you use' and when it's not IE they go 'we don't offer support for anything but IE' regardless if it's a serverside issue unrelated to browsers.
Next to be put under the EU spotlight should be DXVA(1+2+HD andsoforth).
@ mike
NetCaptor was the first browser to introduce tabs, not Firefox. Opera had tabs before Firefox. Also a market can exist wherever there is competition, profit has nothng to do with it, but on that point, the browser developers partner with search providers like Yahoo and Google and they earn cash monies whenever someone uses their embedded search, so there most certainly is profit in it.
Hahahaha, very nice move on part of Microsoft. They've taken the ECC's ruling and twisted its purpose to their own benefit. Now, instead of maybe five major browsers that could hope to compete with IE, they've carpet-bombed the user with every no-name browser that happens to exist (Flock? K-meleon? Slim?). Nice job centering Microsoft Internet Explorer in the middle of the alphabetical list too.
Any new user seeing this list will be overwhelmed by the choices, and will no doubt select the default, or the browser made by the maker of their OS, and the only one that has "Internet" in its title. All this is done under the guises of extra choice, which the ECC has no recourse against.
When the ECC gives you lemons, make lemonade!
There is no 'web browser market'. They're free. People who offer browsers, may get paid for developer tools. No other profit to be had.
@two00lbwaster - Apple has a monopoly where every Mac comes with a Mac OS. That follows the definition of a monopoly. And, the only reason why MS 'needs' to offer a choice is because it's mandated by law.
Also @two00lbwaster - I use firefox because it had tabbed browsing first, now and then I use IE for a site that requires it. But I totally agree with Chris, most people couldn't care less what browser they use; they'd rather not be bothered with a pop-up asking them if they want to switch, and don't care to learn another browser's layout.
Actually, it's because almost every new PC that is shipped comes with Windows on it which is the reason that MS needs to offer choice regarding browsers, especially with IE being such an important virus vector.
I downloaded this via the windows update site yesterday (it was out on there sooner) and got the prompt on reboot, however it took so long to load the actual choice page I gave up and clicked the cross never to see it again. I am sure lots of people will do this as it is not expected.
Also I am sure quite allot of people don't know or care what a browser is so a default Internet browser isnt such a bad thing, if its such a problem perhaps the pc should randomly select a browser for them. Ubuntu uses firefox and apple uses their Safari browser as default - perhaps these should be subject to the same rules?