Microsoft to randomize browser ballot for EU

[Uber Philf]

Opera and Google signed the complaint against MS.
That draws the attention of EU regulators to examine MSs business practices and find them in contravention of the law,
However the law is a two edged sword and Google could find itself in a similar situation as it continues it's plan for world domination.
Can't imagine Opera being in any kind of monopoly situation ever
Perhaps Apple gets a pass because it makes an entire product but I think they are the worst of the lot. Every Apple product seems to require you to spend money with Apple

Yeah iTunes games that cost a fortune, and albums and songs, pfft.

 

[Legacy Code]

I just received the ballot screen , ignored it ( I use a dev build of Chrome) and as you can see it will show next time i reboot. I'm thinking to uninstall the update. Will this mess with my system if i do or shall i just download IE8 ?

Why no " its cool i have a browser already thanks" option ?

 

[Boris]

First of all: non eu-residents should shut up as it does not effect them.
Second: sick an tired of this non-issue debate, which seems to pop up every other month.
Third: peace!

@ legacy code: i think you can just choose IE8 and adjust things to your liking afterwards

Why no " its cool i have a browser already thanks" option ?

would be handy for advanced users, but not inline with ms-eu agreement

 

[Thorsen]

I just received the ballot screen , ignored it ( I use a dev build of Chrome) and as you can see it will show next time i reboot. I'm thinking to uninstall the update. Will this mess with my system if i do or shall i just download IE8 ?

Why no " its cool i have a browser already thanks" option ?

This is a classic example of adware.

1. Tell user to buy product.
2. Restart program on boot.
3. Repeat.
4. Profit??

 

[Boris]

I just received the ballot screen , ignored it ( I use a dev build of Chrome) and as you can see it will show next time i reboot. I'm thinking to uninstall the update. Will this mess with my system if i do or shall i just download IE8 ?

Why no " its cool i have a browser already thanks" option ?

This is a classic example of adware.

1. Tell user to buy product.
2. Restart program on boot.
3. Repeat.
4. Profit??

In the view of the EU commission IE is adware

 

[Thorsen]

In Soviet Europe, Ballot chooses you!

 

[Joan Archer]

Got mine this morning, installed picked IE on the ballot, which I'd already got anyway, clicked the install button and it just took me to the IE page and told me that IE was already my default and I just had to put the IE icon back on the taskbar because the install had taken it off.

All done and dusted without problems, I then put the shortcut it put on my desktop in the recycle bin.

 

[garrettnichols]

I don't see why it matters if Microsoft bundles THEIR browser with THEIR OS. I mean, surely most people will eventually realize that the want something else and download a different browser anyways. (not saying that IE8 isn't the best browser out there of course)

 

[arkhi]

Lol. Information Regarding Web Browsers

[URL]http://www.browserchoice.eu/BrowserChoice/browserchoice_en.htm[/URL]

I just can't type the feeling of how ridiculous I think EU is with this "solution" of theirs. If I can, this'll be a 1000 word essay.

Again, LOL at how the first 5 browsers stay the first 5, even if it's listed random, and the last 7 stays the last 7.

 

[Lordbob75]

Lol. Information Regarding Web Browsers

[url=http://www.browserchoice.eu/BrowserChoice/browserchoice_en.htm]Information Regarding Web Browsers[/url]

I just can't type the feeling of how ridiculous I think EU is with this "solution" of theirs.

Ever notice that no matter how many times you refresh, those other browsers never get see without scrolling?

ON NO, MICROSOFT IS STIFLING COMPETITION!!!
QUICK, SOMEONE SUE THEM AGAIN!


~Lordbob

 

[Adamd]

Everyone should just use Chrome lol. I was the biggest fan of Firefox for such a long time but it is getting to slow and takes forever to stat up.

I just downloaded the beta build of version 5 and it is just scary fast. 4 was ultra fast as well. Crazy how fast these browsers are getting!!!!

 

[garrettnichols]

Everyone should just use Chrome lol. I was the biggest fan of Firefox for such a long time but it is getting to slow and takes forever to stat up.

I just downloaded the beta build of version 5 and it is just scary fast. 4 was ultra fast as well. Crazy how fast these browsers are getting!!!!

True, Chrome 4 is very fast, and Chrome 5 is looking like it could be even faster, but (for the time being) for some people it just doesn't have the versatility and functionality other browsers like Firefox offer.

 

[EvilOzzmess]

The thing I don't like, and have never liked about this whole Browser business is how Microsoft has embedded IE into the actual operating system versions themselves. It isn't like the others, because it is an actual integrated component - which is to say, that it is REQUIRED and prompted to be used in certain applications relating to the OS, such as back with XP for Updates. Some sites even now require IE to handle some functions or downloads and it is just wholly unnecessary! What this does is effectively inhibit the user's ability to set another browser, such as for example FireFox, from being the 100% defaulted browser application and because IE, again, is sometimes REQUIRED and prompted to be used in order to carry out those tasks. And therein lies the problem, and that I believe is the core issue the EU has with this whole thing.

Honestly, there is absolutely no reason that FireFox or any other browser for that matter shouldn't be allowed to handle those previously mentioned, though rare, instances of functions for certain downloads or anything which presently REQUIRES and prompts for IE to carry out. That, right there, IS Monopolistic and a bit underhanded if I'm being completely honest here. Why can't Microsoft allow other browsers to be integrated into the system's OS's if that is what the user wants?

But I digress, it doesn't bother me much to have to open IE on those rare occasions... but that isn't to say it wouldn't be nice to be able to axe IE from my computers altogether and just have FireFox and to have FireFox be able to do everything that IE did too. But for now, that is impossible for the reasons already provided and I for one rather think it sucks.

 

[win7clutz]

I believe you posted the same BS not long ago in another thread...

...is impossible for the reasons already provided and I for one rather think it sucks.

Do you mean provided by you, if so I'm missing something as I see no examples in your post... With the exception of Windows update, all default associations that point to IE can very easily be changed to another browser...

 

[gladson1976]

The thing I don't like, and have never liked about this whole Browser business is how Microsoft has embedded IE into the actual operating system versions themselves. It isn't like the others, because it is an actual integrated component - which is to say, that it is REQUIRED and prompted to be used in certain applications relating to the OS, such as back with XP for Updates. Some sites even now require IE to handle some functions or downloads and it is just wholly unnecessary! What this does is effectively inhibit the user's ability to set another browser, such as for example FireFox, from being the 100% defaulted browser application and because IE, again, is sometimes REQUIRED and prompted to be used in order to carry out those tasks. And therein lies the problem, and that I believe is the core issue the EU has with this whole thing.

Honestly, there is absolutely no reason that FireFox or any other browser for that matter shouldn't be allowed to handle those previously mentioned, though rare, instances of functions for certain downloads or anything which presently REQUIRES and prompts for IE to carry out. That, right there, IS Monopolistic and a bit underhanded if I'm being completely honest here. Why can't Microsoft allow other browsers to be integrated into the system's OS's if that is what the user wants?

But I digress, it doesn't bother me much to have to open IE on those rare occasions... but that isn't to say it wouldn't be nice to be able to axe IE from my computers altogether and just have FireFox and to have FireFox be able to do everything that IE did too. But for now, that is impossible for the reasons already provided and I for one rather think it sucks.

In the beginning, the whole monopoly business started because IE was embedded in Windows, not because IE was installed in Windows. Most people don't understand this and talk about EU's high handedness.
Installing IE by default in Windows was not the problem, INTEGRATING it in the OS itself was the problem. That was monopoly.

 

[EvilOzzmess]

I believe you posted the same BS not long ago in another thread...

...is impossible for the reasons already provided and I for one rather think it sucks.

Do you mean provided by you, if so I'm missing something as I see no examples in your post... With the exception of Windows update, all default associations that point to IE can very easily be changed to another browser...

I've never been able to get that to work. As for specific examples, I cannot think of any off of the top of my head at the moment as I very, very rarely ever encounter this phenomenon. However, I do recall on my XP Dimension 3000 Desktop that Dell, when searching for my computer's information such as the "Service Tag", will prompt me to use IE instead of FireFox or it will NOT allow the operation to commence. It is the same with most other services like this as well, involving retrieval of system information by a website through ActiveX Control or similar. I don't know all of the terminology or facts on this, nor do I proclaim to know it all, but what I do know is that it happens and that without IE, you cannot continue on with what you are doing. You instead have to open up IE, paste the address and continue on from there - it is impossible for an average user to avoid IE when this happens, in other words.

In the beginning, the whole monopoly business started because IE was embedded in Windows, not because IE was installed in Windows. Most people don't understand this and talk about EU's high handedness.
Installing IE by default in Windows was not the problem, INTEGRATING it in the OS itself was the problem. That was monopoly.

Agreed.

 

[severedsolo]

iv got an example for you, Nvidia chipset drivers, if you use their "auto scan for drivers" feature, graphics card drivers can be scanned by FF but chipset drivers must be done in IE

also (rather randomly) Pureplay Poker's software insists on using IE not any other browser,

just ones i can think of off the top of my head

 

[MattRainier]

In the beginning, the whole monopoly business started because IE was embedded in Windows, not because IE was installed in Windows. Most people don't understand this and talk about EU's high handedness.
Installing IE by default in Windows was not the problem, INTEGRATING it in the OS itself was the problem. That was monopoly.

*cough*Apple*cough*

Sorry, but I just don't buy that argument. Turning IE off is simple - 'Remove Windows Components' ring a bell? Besides, it makes IE work faster than other browsers at a system level. I don't see any problems with Microsoft making Microsoft's products work with Microsoft's operating system. In fact, they'd BETTER - otherwise it'll tick me off. Why would I want to buy a product that doesn't even work with the rest of what the company produces?

 

[Thorsen]

EU will only be happy when everything is completely randomized

and when you install you get either win7, Ubuntu, or Snow Leopard

 

[severedsolo]

thorsen... you arent suggesting that the EU has nothing better to do with their time than to make stupid laws that actually dont effect anyone are you.... surely not.... (straight bananas come to mind)

would be interesting to see your scenario though, in theory we would be able to get win 7 for free simply download a ubuntu iso and then use the "randomised ballot" to select windows 7

actually i like that idea.... vote Severedsolo in next years European Parliament elections, free windows for all! :roflmao: