MS bows down to opera and adds ballot box

[BoyBetterKnow]

Firefox or Chrome should be standard for all PCs. Safari should be standard for macs.

People who aren't PC literate should not be forced to use Internet Explorer because it's rubbish and Opera is worse.

I will never be downloading Opera again. I uninstalled my version and will not be supporting it again. It's an awful browser.

[:job2]

Its just a pathetic cheep shot to try and get some publicity, and its worked! Now more people than ever know about Opera as a browser... however for the wrong reasons.

So surely if this is deemed as anti-competitive, Macs shouldnt be shipped with iTunes, Safari or any other basic programs. Windows shouldn't be shipped with a MS Word trial.

MS made a browser, and an operating system which supports that browser in a very stable (although not the fastest) way. Why shouldn't they be able to ship the two together? Its not like MS have made it so that you cant uninstall IE, or use another browser.

This is going to confuse the hell out of people who dont know much about computers!

[GommeInc]

True, plus those who stay with IE probably don't care what they're using and probably appreciate having the built in browser.

But having said that I still think it's nice to have the initial choice (even though the browser selector appears to be running in IE).

Agreed It's a good idea the choice, but it's not like having IE as standard was bad, and at least anyone who isn't computer literate (or cares) can have a decent browser which is and was taught to them (considering loads of computer classes show how to use IE as well as how to browse, rather than how to use a browser (slight difference)).

I like this actually, it means some noobs might, just might pick another web browser other than IE. This is good news in my opinion.

Irony! Using the word noob out of context makes you a noob, because you do not know how and when to use the word

Its just a pathetic cheep shot to try and get some publicity, and its worked! Now more people than ever know about Opera as a browser... however for the wrong reasons.

So surely if this is deemed as anti-competitive, Macs shouldnt be shipped with iTunes, Safari or any other basic programs. Windows shouldn't be shipped with a MS Word trial.

MS made a browser, and an operating system which supports that browser in a very stable (although not the fastest) way. Why shouldn't they be able to ship the two together? Its not like MS have made it so that you cant uninstall IE, or use another browser.

This is going to confuse the hell out of people who dont know much about computers!

Exactly, it's very confusing - first the EU was known to hate iTunes, now they seem to forget that some Apple products only work with certain Apple made applications and programs like iTunes - not that it's a bad thing, but when you get a Microsoft product, you expect Microsoft products to work with it - like Windows Live Messenger, Centre, Player, Word, Internet Explorer and so on. It's very confusing what they're trying to prove :/

[Chippiewill]

The top 8 market share browsers will be shipped with the ballot box

Also the image I posted was a quick mock-up somebody made which was on a website that is gone now.


Also this will achieve two things:

Confuse People: (Copied from TWiT Netcast)

Person not good with computers: ''Which one should I pick? If I pick IE do I not get to use FF, does it stop me from using it?

Basically they will not know what to do.

Those who are good at computers will go, 'Screw opera, they created this mess'


Edit: MS are doing it to get on the EUs good side, also they have two other eu problems which this should solve

Also you can get the mac nightly builds of chrome now

[Kyle!]

Irony! Using the word noob out of context makes you a noob, because you do not know how and when to use the word

Oh please... :rolleyes:

[Agnostic Bear]

Oh please... :rolleyes:

He's right, you don't, IE is a fine browser that works with all of the web standard doodads, it comes with some fabulous tools for making internet worthwhile, wouldn't you see it's a fabulous browser?

Or are you just so deluded by macs and firefox that you can't see past their hype?

[Jin]

Dont forget that the only people that have OS on disks are the the tech savvy. Nowadays windows comes pre-loaded on the hard drives.

I think the EU should stick their nose out of business practice. It is not anti-competitive it is common sense. There is no tie in clause that prevents users from installing other browsers on windows. Mac distribute their OS with a browser so why can't windows.

At the end of the day, those who prefer IE will just go an download IE and uninstall opera. It also means that Microsoft will bundle IE with other software.

MS Office, MSN Messenger etc etc will all be bundled with IE in the future, I would have told the EU to shove it because what is the likely chance of the EU banning MS products.

[Chippiewill]

He's right, you don't, IE is a fine browser that works with all of the web standard doodads, it comes with some fabulous tools for making internet worthwhile, wouldn't you see it's a fabulous browser?

Or are you just so deluded by macs and firefox that you can't see past their hype?

Actually IE just had a major security flaw to do with activex killbits (allows websites to raise what it can do with activex without permission) the best browser atm is FF3.0 because it is safe with nearly no flaws. New is insecure

[Black_Apalachi]

There is one positive I can draw from this - I won't be forced to use IE to read my MSN emails .

Fail. You can really guess why LMAO

I loled .

Firefox or Chrome should be standard for all PCs. Safari should be standard for macs.

People who aren't PC literate should not be forced to use Internet Explorer because it's rubbish and Opera is worse.

I will never be downloading Opera again. I uninstalled my version and will not be supporting it again. It's an awful browser.

Nobody is forced to use IE (apart from the one off instance I mentioned above). Just because Windows comes with it pre-installed, it hasn't stopped us all from downloading whatever browsers we choose. The same way we download iTunes instead of using Media Player or you might download Paint Shop Pro instead of using Paint, or Office instead of some other word processor type thing. The list is endless.

I also disagree that Opera is a worse browser than IE. I was using Opera again quite recently and found it to be quite good. I could never say it was worse than IE. But as company, yeah Opera is a bit lame. On the other hand, it's expected in the business world for companies to try and gain the upper hand by any means legally and ethically (you may say what they are doing is unethical, but when you think about the size of MS, I'm sure they'd argue against it ). It's the EU who have messed up here.

I find it rather obtuse of the EU to comply so easily with Opera's request but at the same time overlook all of the other identical instances there are withtin the same damn product! I also don't understand why MS didn't put up much of a fight.

The whole thing just puts me off ever entering the business world if it can be ****** around with so easily by stupid little companies.

The top 8 market share browsers will be shipped with the ballot box

8?! I only know of the 5 or 6 main ones!

[Oleh]

i thinn this thing with browsers sucks, if users want to use a different browser they'll go out and download it, i think if its microsofts browser its microsofts right to put it on there system