Microsoft to now offer a choice of browser to Europeans.
50 replies, posted
[release]Microsoft is to ask millions of users across Europe if they want to use a web browser other than its own.
Windows users will be offered the choice as part of a deal Microsoft struck with the European Commission.
The agreement resolves a long-running case in which the software giant was accused of abusing its market position.
A pop-up window will prompt people to choose and install one of 12 different browsers or let them stick with Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
Install options
The browser choice software will be delivered from Monday as part of the Windows Update system Microsoft usually uses to distribute security patches.
[quote]BROWSER CHOICES
Avant
Chrome
Firefox
Flock
Green Browser
Internet Explorer
K-meleon
Maxthon
Opera
Safari
Sleipnir
Slim[/quote]
Send us your comments
Although the update has been prepared for Windows XP, Vista and 7, not all users will see it.
It will not pop up in front of those who already run a different default browser, such as Firefox, Safari or Chrome.
Users guaranteed to see it are those that have Internet Explorer (IE) set as their default browser and have taken the option to let Windows automatically download and install updates.
Those that have this option turned off will be prompted to download, install and run the software.
Those that have automatic updates turned off can go to the Windows Update site and run a "Check For Updates" to get it.
When it runs, the software will present users with a window that says in bold text "An important choice to make: your browser". It also asks people to ensure they are connected to the internet.
Once the "OK" button is clicked, they will see a screen that lists the 12 browsers available.
The Opera, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Internet Explorer browsers are randomly ordered on the first section of this screen.
Screengrab of opening browser choice screen, Microsoft
The browser choice comes as part of an anti-trust deal
Another seven browsers, namely Sleipnir, Green Browser, Maxthon, Avant, Flock, K-meleon, and Slim, will be randomly ordered on the rest of the screen. They can be viewed by scrolling sideways.
Below each listing will be a button giving more information. Another button lets users install one of the browsers.
Alternatively, users can opt to ignore the selection and make a choice later. If they do this a shortcut icon will appear on the Windows desktop that gives access to the browser choice window at any time.
The choice screen will keep appearing until a user has made a choice.
Anyone wanting to stick with IE will be prompted to upgrade to the latest version.
Microsoft said that Windows 7 users who have fixed or "pinned" IE to their taskbar will have it unpinned by the update. Right clicking the icon for any browser will let users pin that program to the taskbar.
It is not yet clear what effect the browser choice will have on Internet Explorer's market share.
Although exact estimates are hard to find, web stats firm Net Applications said IE is used by 62% market share. Its closest rival is Firefox at 24%.
Some fear the browser choice system will confuse people. Already some who have been confronted with the choice screen have been worried that their machine has been taken over or fallen victim to a virus.[/release]
[img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47393000/gif/_47393801_browser_market_sh_466.gif[/img]
[URL="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8537763.stm"]Source[/URL]
The EU is being a little silly about this, people use IE just because it's there and it works. Half of the IE using demographic are older users who want simplicity.
Thank god for EU for regulating things like these, I was thankful already about the ban on cucumbers that were too curved, and now this! EU you have exceeded yourself.
So now it's a name competition.
Animal enthusiasts all switch to FireFox.
Chemists switch to Chromium.
Australian's get Safari once this hits Australia but the government will ban that soon too.
Environmentalists get the Green Browser.
French people jump on Avant since they know the word.
Then all the comedians will pick up on Opera since the name is ironic.
[QUOTE=Icaras;20492459]So now it's a name competition.
Animal enthusiasts all switch to FireFox.
Chemists switch to Chromium.
Australian's get Safari once this hits Australia but the government will ban that soon too.
Environmentalists get the Green Browser.
French people jump on Avant since they know the word.
Then all the comedians will pick up on Opera since the name is ironic.[/QUOTE]
And Slepnir is for those who feel like an ancient mythology horse with eight legs?
Hmm, this is actually quite useful.
This is a good thing, it's a step towards making people less illiterate.
[QUOTE=acds;20492510]This is a good thing, it's a step towards making people less illiterate.[/QUOTE]
I bet most people are gonna pick Internet Explorer anyways, because it says Internet.
In my opinion, this is not a good thing.
Microsoft can package whatever god damn software they like with their operating system. It's a fucking component of windows just like notepad or windows media player.
This almost seems like it would be intimidating to the average computer user.
Too many choices.
So that's what was the update I got yesterday. Fucker forced me to restart the computer.
i haven't even heard of half of those browsers
[QUOTE=Waals Vander;20492757]i haven't even heard of half of those browsers[/QUOTE]
Yep.
Flock sounds odd.
Ninety Percent of normal users will just click IE anyway, so waht's the point? People who think that the "web is art" will bitch about how it's really openign up the web to other browsers, but in reality it's not gonna change shit because people will just pick one at random if they don't understand.
[editline]03:27PM[/editline]
Made a typo, can't correct it because of remote desktop lag, rate me tick.
[QUOTE=Icaras;20492459]So now it's a name competition.
Animal enthusiasts all switch to FireFox.
Chemists switch to Chromium.
Australian's get Safari once this hits Australia but the government will ban that soon too.
Environmentalists get the Green Browser.
French people jump on Avant since they know the word.
Then all the comedians will pick up on Opera since the name is ironic.[/QUOTE]
Win.
I don't understand. OSX practically rams Safari down your throat
Also
[quote]BROWSER CHOICES
Avant
Chrome
Firefox
[B]Flock
Green Browser[/B]
Internet Explorer
[B]K-meleon
Maxthon[/B]
Opera
Safari
[B]Sleipnir
Slim[/B][/quote]
Never heard of the bolded ones, and I think I heard about Avant once or twice but not much.
Also what the hell is up with that "Asda story" (and what the hell is up with the name?) at the bottom? It's not cute, it makes me want to punch the screen.
[QUOTE=Cluckyx;20492837]I don't understand. OSX practically rams Safari down your throat[/QUOTE]
The thing is MS has a de-facto monopoly.
Goddamn EU taking away our lightbulbs, bending our bananas and shit.
So what about the average person who knows little about the differences between internet browsers? What is he going to do when offered a choice of a browser out 12?
Haven't heard about half of them, but at least they're offering something aside from iexplorer.exe
[QUOTE=Sparkwire;20493100]So what about the average person who knows little about the differences between internet browsers? What is he going to do when offered a choice of a browser out 12?[/QUOTE]
Pick what he knows which is Internet Explorer.
MS knows this. It's just to please the EU.
[QUOTE=Sparkwire;20493100]So what about the average person who knows little about the differences between internet browsers? What is he going to do when offered a choice of a browser out 12?[/QUOTE]
Choose the one he/she is already familiar with which will probably be internet explorer.
[QUOTE=evilking1;20492451]Thank god for EU for regulating things like these, I was thankful already about the ban on cucumbers that were too curved, and now this! EU you have exceeded yourself.[/QUOTE]
Don't forget the ban on lightbulbs
[QUOTE=Combine 177;20492803]Yep.
Flock sounds odd.[/QUOTE]
Formula of Flock
Firefox Code + A few Social Networking related add-ons = A [I]revolution[/I].
The clever thing about microsoft is, they add a large amount of browsers to make it more overwhelming to the user and makes them much more likely to go for internet explorer as stated above.
[QUOTE=Icaras;20492459]So now it's a name competition.
Animal enthusiasts all switch to FireFox.
Chemists switch to Chromium.
Australian's get Safari once this hits Australia but the government will ban that soon too.
Environmentalists get the Green Browser.
French people jump on Avant since they know the word.
Then all the comedians will pick up on Opera since the name is ironic.[/QUOTE]
Little kids will choose Maxthon because it sounds like a Power Rangers villain.
But people get to choose, which is all that matters.
Opera started all of this. Funny, because they're consistently unpopular and support for Firefox just keeps growing.
[QUOTE=Cluckyx;20492837]I don't understand. OSX practically rams Safari down your throat[/QUOTE]
Even if you have iTunes for windows the updater installs Safari unless you uncheck it. What the shit is that.
Oh cool authoritarian unions
I never understood why Microsoft had to do this, I mean, isn't it their OS.
But I still think IE remain the most used browser
