The browser wars are back, but it’s different this time

Why wouldn't they. It's all about market share equals more CASH FLOW inbound and Micro set the framework long time ago for all those commercial AV's. They had an awesome run and still are to a large extent still reaping the benefits.

 

No, this goes a bit too far, I do think they are genuinely trying to make Windows more safe. But there are so many attack vectors that they introduced probably since Windows NT, that no wonder hackers are able to successfully pull off so many attacks.

 

You hit the nail squarely right on the head.

They introduce all those attack vectors, then malware addicts exploit them, fallout ensues, then Micro issues patches-Rinse and Repeat

 

Microsoft Edge now bashes Google Chrome when you download it
December 2, 2021

 

Microsoft backtracks on Windows 11’s controversial default browser changes
Windows 11 will now make it easier to change default browsers
December 3, 2021

 

I have my own "browser wars".
At this moment, I prefer only two browsers - Firefox and Osiris.
I would like to always use Firefox but I'm tired of that constant "formatting" issue while commenting on Disqus or other web-sites. It seriously irritates me; therefore,
I tend to use Osiris as a light, more or less, secure, private, Chrome based browser, that is being updating (updates are happening, maybe, not as frequent as with other browsers.)
The only one "complaint" about Osiris from me - It's not included in the Sandboxie settings; therefore, I can't save bookmarks.

 

Nothing wrong with this, Chrome did or does the same when you are using Google services inside Edge.

 

There's everything wrong with this. Two wrongs don't make one right.
Mrk

 

Too right.

 

An eye-for-eye and tooth-for-tooth would lead to a world of the blind and toothless.

 

You guys are of course right, and normally I would agree, but it's not like Alphabet is some innocent little company who never did anything wrong to anybody. And I'm also not the biggest fan of Google products. Google Search still rules, so kuddos to them, but Gmail, Google Drive and Chrome are all crap, so I don't feel sorry for them.

 

Look at Android. When you switch your browser to something other than Chrome, you don't get 10 prompts telling you not to do that. In fact, when you set up Android, it asks you which browsers and search engines you want to set up. Yes, there are millions of annoyances there, but there's none of this sales-in-yer-face nonsense with the browser switch. Also, anyone who has used Windows in the past 20 years can see a steady progression of nonsense at the expense of simple functionality.
Mrk

 

I set up Android last week on new phone and it didn’t ask me which browser I want to use.

 

Can't argue that assessment.

 

Vanilla acc, or you imported an existing user?
Mrk

 

Vanilla. I postponed logging in to Google Account until a day or two to get some out-of-box apps disabled before logging in.

 

Maybe you only had Chrome installed?

 

I did a couple of vanilla setups in the past month, and with the acc configured early on, and as part of the wizard, Iwas given the option to download browsers and search engines.
Mrk

 

They've been predicting the demise of Firefox for a long time. I think it will survive. Despite some of my gripes with it I use it quite a bit.

 

I really hope and pray that Firefox lives a long life. I have been hearing about Firefox shutting down for a long time. I get nervous every once in a while wanting to have a backup in case Firefox dies. I will try other browsers but I keep coming back to Firefox. I just cannot get used to the convoluted bookmarks system of other browsers. And bookmarks are very important to me. Plus I also love the Firefox on Android.

 

I think Firefox simply isn't good enough. Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera and the new upcoming DuckDuckGo desktop browser have a better chance standing up against Chrome. You should check out Vivaldi, it has a very simple and handy bookmarks manager.

 

Funny - I think Edge, Opera and Vivaldi are not good enough privacywise. The bookmarks manager in Vivaldi has been be your argument for a long time - but nobody else seems to care. Because other things are much more important, IMO. And regarding Firefox: I'm not sure why you think it isn't good enough. It's still the most configurable and versatile browser available. And although it is usually lagging behind Chromium/Brave in synthetic benchmarks tests, in practice it feels as fast as Brave which is my backup browser.

 

I have tried Vivaldi but I like Firefox better. I do not know maybe it is because I am so used to Firefox. It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I will give Vivaldi and Brave another shot later. Now that Chrome is gobbling up the browser space, I must keep a backup. I do not know why people like Chrome so much. It is so resource hungry, the tabs and bookmarks are a mess. Maybe same reason as me- habit.