EU wants MS to put other browsers in Windows

[shiv]

Microsoft’s plans for Windows 7 to allow users to disable Internet Explorer don’t go far enough, the EU is thinking. CRN reports that the Wall Street Journal reports that the EU wants to force Microsoft to bundle other browsers - I’m thinking Opera and Firefox - with Windows. A startup screen would ask users which browser they want to be their default.

The story said the EU may require Microsoft to offer a so-called ballot screen that would give new computer users a choice of browsers and the ability to designate one as the default browser. It may also demand that Microsoft contractually require computer manufacturers to keep the ballot screen on the systems they ship.

My guess is Microsoft doesn’t go along with this plan and another brutal new season of EU-Microsoft litigation unfolds.

Source: http://government.zdnet.com/?p=4877

Lol look at the number of comments

[RuadRauFlessa]

Whahahaha. Nice find there shiv,

[hamin_aus]

As much as I dislike IE as a web browser, telling a company that it has to include a rival product on it's proprietary platform is just silly.

[SykomantiS]

CRN reports that the Wall Street Journal reports that the EU wants...

He said she said...

But it's interesting and would be really cool, even if it's silly

[rustypup]

As much as I dislike IE as a web browser, telling a company that it has to include a rival product on it's proprietary platform is just silly.

there's also the small matter of how deeply imbedded IE is with respect to windows itself... try accessing M$ proprietary reporting tools, back-office, MOSS, etc. without IE... good luck with that...

frankly, if the user hasn't figured out how to download a 7MB installation and run it, how will they react when the installation challenges them to actually think for 12 seconds?, (10 seconds allocated for think-time...)...

[ryanrich]

Agree with jamin and rusty. I don't use IE unless I have to, but forcing them to include other browsers is just dumb...

[Jonboy]

Can anybody actually force a company to change the composition of a product in this regard? That's a bit absurd. Can you imagine Marvel being told that people prefer Batman to Spiderman and they must now replace their web-slinger with the bat? LOL, me thinks not.

[Frozenfireside]

Daft but I don't care. I want FF to be installed by default.
I would also like WMP to play media files properly, but we can't have everything.

[UrBaN]

I have to agree with both jamin and rusty...must be the Swedish air methinks.

Regardless - you cannot, surely, badger badger badger a software developer into including rival proprietary software in their software offering. If that is the case then surely Opera and FF would be forced to pay MS fees for updating and "supporting" the 3rd party software?

Who is then to blame when FF falls on it's head once a day? Does the user blame MS for FFs issues? Does MS pass the buck to Opera when SpeedDial loses a link?

I agree that MS should offer the ability to disable IE, possibly burn it in a Digital Hell next to Clippie, but not force them to implement and "support" (Read: Take the heat for) 3rd party software, and it's possible failures.

[Tribble]

I might lose respect for the fox if MS was to distribute it. I use it because it is an MS free option (and it is great - but that is besides the point)

[Bladerunner]

...must be the Swedish air methinks..

You mean Swiss

But keep an eye on the Swedes. The Pirate Party is going to win the Swedish national elections next year, which will be an absolutely fantastic event. I for one hope to see the @sses of some greedy companies kicked...

[UrBaN]

Bladerunner, Nope, Swedish Swiss would be of Switzerland, which is not the country I am in right now

And yes, I was talking to one of the R&D guys here about it and he reckons the Pirate Party stand a chance

They have 100mbps uncapped unshaped fibre lines here.....

[Bladerunner]

Bladerunner, Nope, Swedish Swiss would be of Switzerland, which is not the country I am in right now

Everyone makes a fuss about the Swiss air, not Swedish.

And yes, I was talking to one of the R&D guys here about it and he reckons the Pirate Party stand a chance

They are going to win. No question

They have 100mbps uncapped unshaped fibre lines here.....

I know, my friend is hosting my website on one of those

[alliesmeister]

As much as I love FF and dislike IE, I really don't understand how Ms can be forced to this??? It's like telling Symantec, ok you may distribute a trial version of Norton 2009 Pro with Norton 2009 Personal Edition. But only if you include trials of: McAfee, Avast, AVG, Kaspersky, Bitdefender, NOD32 etc... So basically you're told to provide the opposition companies with free marketing. Ridiculous...

[StarBound]

Would you trust a rival product that came bundled with windows?

I think not