Should Microsoft include a browser selection screen for Windows 7 in Europe?

Which will leave all of us Wilders members (not to mention our friend Joe) clueless as to what to do with the OS. TBH, I am of the opinion that this issue is better left alone then be pursued to such extents.

If I hadn't took a second look at the comments I'd missed this one and would've said it myself. A good point.

Why separate updates for the OS and IE then? Shouldn't they all be titled "Update for OS" if they are so entwined? AFAIK, every patch is documented in detail and you can read up before deciding to apply it.

 

Hello,
of course you would patch IE even if you dont use it. a program could still install and take advantage of a hole in IE so even if i dont use it malware still could.
its like leaving open a backdoor in your house. even if you dont use the door you would still lock it so no else can use it.

You dont need to go that far. you can replace the file manager with something like directory opus if you wanted to.

 

How, exactly?

The whole point of "holes" in IE is to let programs install silently. Why would a program that's already installed still need to take advantage of "holes" in IE?

 

I agree totally ! ( my vote:Yes, and other measures should be taken as well )

 

I'm an European citizen too. Often I disagree with the " unelected bureaucrats ", but in many situation they try to defend and to enhance the market freedom. A man named Adam Smith in the XVIII° explained as the free competition in the Market is the best choice for the users, for the economy, for all... And what you call " a relatively insignicant but whingeing Norwegian company " is making in these years one of the more sure, more rich, more innovative browser.

 

A company making a browser, no matter how good it is (and it is not THAT good) is certainly insignificant when compared with company who is making what Microsoft's making.

May I just repeat what's already been said in this thread - the only way Opera, Firefox and whoever wants to pursue this issue should fight MS monopoly is to make a competitive OS of their own.

 

None of this would have been an issue at all if Internet Explorer hadn't been permanently bundled with the OS and supposedly unremovable. Users could have downloaded another browser, then removed IE if they chose to. Offering all the other browsers isn't practical. Unlike MS, they update their browsers more than once every few years. They'd be offering outdated browsers with security risks of their own. Microsoft had to be stubborn and adopt a smart@ss attitude about it (no browser at all) until there was a backlash. Now it would appear that the fight itself is more important that the original issue.

Is this a joke??
Microsoft already controls the hardware vendors and those who produce drivers, firmware etc. Linux is well established and struggles to get any cooperation from them. Microsoft has made real competition impossible for anyone who doesn't produce everything in house. They'd stand about as much of a chance as you would competing with automakers by building cars in your garage.

 

There is not history between security, features, innovation, creativeness by Opera and FF - and Konqueror in Linux too - and IE. The only problem is that 80% of the users get Windows and boot the pc. They could find inside IE as Opera, FF, NetScape, Maxthon... they will use anythingh. This is the only handicap of Opera and FF. The only reason for I use IE is that sometimes I want to do online update.

p.s.what are making Microsoft with IE that Opera and FF have not already done ?

 

I don't see why. It's their OS, they should be able to ship their browser with it. I have no issue whatsoever with that.

However, I do take offense to being unable to fully remove their browser. That's just dumb.

 

THIS I will agree to.

 

While I agree with your decription of the current market state, I would also like to hear your opinion on how to approach this issue. Somehow, grabbing Microsoft by the horns and whining "oh please include my software into your OS", doesn't seem appropriate to me, neither professionally nor morally.

I don't know what to say on this as I don't find IE to be a "lesser" browser anymore. The year is 2010 and not 2000. All that you mention - security, features, innovation are things of personal preference and concern.

But I can see where this bundling of 3rd party apps will, in the end, benefit Microsoft greatly.

 

I don't think anything short of restricting or splitting up Microsoft under anti-monopoly laws can level the field. Computers and the internet are too much a part of our infrastructure and daily lives to be controlled by one company. Anti-competitive business agreements with hardware vendors needs to be annulled to prevent terms that keep hardware from supporting other operating systems. Hardware vendors need to make the code that's needed for drivers available to all OS developers.

Policies forcing both hardware and software vendors into planned obsolescence need to be voided. That policy harms users and the environment. Users are forced to replace perfectly good hardware because of it. That hardware, much of it containing toxic materials end up in landfills because of it due to a lack of recycling facilities. That is the most anti-environmental policy possible, discarding completely functional (and toxic) hardware solely to force sales.

As for the original question, browsers, the simple solution would be for Windows to come with a mini-browser that's used to download and install a full browser. All it would need is links to the vendors sites. For users with no alternate preference, it can download IE.

When you get down to it, this is about separating the OS from the user software, and giving use the ability to build their own package if they choose to. The usual full package that Windows is now is fine for some but shouldn't be forced on everyone. It wouldn't be so bad if there were real options to Windows but all of the options are limited in some way, much of which is a direct result of Microsoft policies.

 

http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/0...rowser-ballot-screen-rollout-begins-next-wee/

 

I think they shouldn't remove IE 8. Neither include a screen selection for browsers.

It's their product they can do what they want with it. Actually they're not forcing customers to use their web browser. If they don't like it they can go and install another one without issues.
So this is all ******** on EU part.

 

I think this has less to do with actual browser choice & more to do with dodgy Microsoft business practises. This has all come to a head now over browser choice (which is a tad absurd in many ways). I firmly believe that if it was up to Microsoft there would be no alternative choice of browsers. I don't need or want the ballot screen & I won't manually install it. I rarely (if ever) use IE 8 but it's there if I need it. It won't alter the fact that my main browsers of choice are K-Meleon & SRWare Iron.

 

The way it ended was the right way.

IE8 included in Windows + a ballot screen out of IE prompting users with several other random browsers to pick.

 

my view is no, they shuldnt have removed IE in the first place, simply because, its their product, their OS, their choice, if YOU have a problem with something its doing, its quite simple, DONT use it... ther ARE alternative that u can install on ur own time, i dont understand all this complaining the EU is doing about it, its ridiculous.

 

I think the same. Next reason could be fact, that a few of software is using IE libraries. And next step: maybe browser selection screen for main Linux distribution? I dont wanna use Firefox at all!

 

i don't care as i am not in europe anyways

 

I understand Opera's problem with many of Microsoft's business practises, & the way that M$ have tried to squeeze out other browser producers by trying to monopolise the market with underhand & devious devices, but this ballot screen seems rather pointless as an update to me. I worry about the EU sometimes...

 

I just got an update from MS, the browser ballot screen is among them, however, not having IE 8 as my default browser it hasn't loaded (the box was un-ticked next to the update list) so I haven't seen it.