EU Wants Multiple Browser Bundling On New PCs 464
An anonymous reader writes with a link to Ars Technica's report that "the EU is considering forcing Windows users to choose a browser to download and install before they can first browse the Internet, according to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required). While the latest Windows 7 builds let you uninstall IE8, 'third-party browser makers like Opera, Mozilla and Google are pushing for tough sanctions against Microsoft. The EU would rather have a "ballot screen" for users to choose which browsers to download and install as well as which one to set as default. The bundling requirement might end up becoming a responsibility for manufacturers.'"
This could get (even more) stupid (Score:4, Interesting)
[ ]IE
[ ]FireFox
[ ]Opera
[ ]Safari
Which image editor do you want?
[ ]MS Paint
[ ]GIMP
[ ]Paint.net
Which text editor do you want?
[ ]Notepad
[ ]Notepad2
[ ]vi
[ ]Emacs
and on and on...
In a near future... (Score:3, Interesting)
Hm. (Score:3, Interesting)
The EU would rather have a "ballot screen" for users to choose which browsers to download and install as well as which one to set as default
That's not really bundling now, is it? How do they server this list to the user? Must be a webpage, Shirley?
Also.. who chooses which browsers are included in the list? M$? What's to stop M$ putting theirs at the top of the list? I like the idea but it needs more thinking through. I read TFA (yes, I'm new here, etc.) and it was very light on detail.
I somehow sense this isn't the end of the matter..
Re:This could get (even more) stupid (Score:3, Interesting)
Which would be kinda neat, if your options were be comparable. You can't compare MS Paint with GIMP, or Notepad with vim. Having such a choice for a browser, mail client, etc., would be fine. But making the average Joe choose between Notepad and vim would certainly be a distaster for those that chose vim. Your joke would probably be funny if you were given a choice between IE and Lynx...
Re:No fan of MS, but spreading FUD (Score:5, Interesting)
No. IE is not Explorer. I have an Nlited Windows XP, from which IE has been completely removed. Explorer works just fine without IE. Stop spreading FUD, please.
However - Explorer can be removed from XP along with IE, and replaced with some other shell. There are dozens of them available, many for free. The pretty icons, taskbar, systray, and start menus that you cite aren't even "part of the operating system", as you seem to imply.
My #1 favorite file browser is PowerDesk. I generally retain the Explorer shell, because the prettiest and best shells are proprietary, and I'm not willing to pay for them.
Re:The EU is still beating this dead horse? (Score:3, Interesting)
So you don't want to give people the choice... you want to outright ban IE. That's the only thing that would fix your problem, after all. Just be honest and admit that you want IE to disappear, and stop hiding behind the guise of giving consumers more choice (that they didn't want to begin with).
Re:Good? (Score:3, Interesting)
Who gets to decide on the list?
Why browsers, but not other basic programs?
Won't people look at the screen, confused for a moment, and then click the familiar blue e?
Why even bother doing this, since the people who care can easily get a new browser?
This is poorly thought out, pointless, and a waste of money.
Re:That's not a fucking monopoly. (Score:3, Interesting)
Why do you think web browsers are free?