Read more.Microsoft?s plan to offer Windows 7 with no browser at all has had a cool reception from the European Commission.
Read more.Microsoft?s plan to offer Windows 7 with no browser at all has had a cool reception from the European Commission.
so... you just have to download IE then? Although its really good news that I don't have to even bother putting up with IE at all as I use FF anyway.
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Aww, EU panicking that they're soon going to have to find another reason to sue MS, and thus fund the next 3 zillion years?
This is now almost totally pathetic users have the freedom to choose their browser already, there are many to choose from and now even programs like Windows Messenger use the defualt browser instead of just IE when opening outside links.
Internet Explorer has gotten alot better over the years anyway bar some of the non-standard CSS issues (pages look different in different browsers and have to be painstakingly amended to look right) Some of the new features in IE8 like web-clips etc.. look pretty good..
Dispite all that MS has seemed to have completely lost its market dominance in IE anyway - as if no one checked lol...
http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp
With the open source web browser Firefox staking up almost half the market now.
This is purely a thing of the past now there is no issue with Windows 7
"The knack of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss."
- Douglas Adams.
I think some people are missing the real point here, MS was saying for years that they couldn't remove the browser as it was built into the OS. Now they're removing it....what gives?
I personally use FF, Chrome and Opera - but have IE7 and IE8 to check out how websites look. I won't miss IE6 at all, and couldn't really care less if IE disappeared from Win 7, but I'm guessing that absoluteley no-one will buy the E versions, which makes it a completely pointless gesture, which is how the EU sees it. So nothing changes there then eh!
Old puter - still good enuff till I save some pennies!
Agent (13-06-2009)
Every computer should ship with a web browser. In this day and age, shipping without one makes as little sense as shipping without a TCP/IP stack. I expect my OS distributor (Dell, Acer, etc) to be in a position to ship the "best" browser for the task - regardless of what that browser is - as the "main" browser, not as a second browser alongside default MSIE.
So really, I think Microsoft's approach is actually better than the EU proposal. And if you were given a list of browsers to install *as a user*, imagine the support overhead for system vendors - and the ruckus if your company's browser is not on the burned-in list of "permitted" alternatives. They can certainly make *suggestions*, as they do with antivirus in Vista, but I don't want a hard-coded list of alternatives - and I don't want IE by default.
"If we arent allowed to be bullies we're taking our ball and going home"
Sheesh.
Personally I would make them put links in to download pages to choose a browser on start. That browser becomes the MAIN default browser. No loading IE sneakly via hardcoding. Force IE8 with compatability mode to be on. Disable IE7 downwards and push ONLY W3C standards in IE.
Its going to take a few years to clear up the IE6/7 debacale out there on the net but hopefully forcing MS to follow proper standards will mean that a site will look / act the same in any browser.
I'm sick and tired of having to load IE to go shop on a site due to poor coding.
nichomach (15-06-2009)
If MS cant ship Windows 7 with IE built in, Im sure manufacters will oblige and have a browser installed so you can surf as soon as you hook your new machine up to your BB connection. As for people purchasing retail and OEM copies they are more likely to be tech savvy enough to have a pre downloaded browser ready to install.
The EU doesnt know what it wants, I agree with anticompetitive laws etc - this one is just pathetic however. As pointed out above the only plus point, is that it may force MS to make a browser that uses proper standards.
I think some people are also forgetting that although there isnt a browser, whats to stop MS having a script to download the browser for you on demand.
I think one of the best analyses so far is actually Gavin Clarke's on the Reg HERE. He's quite right in stating that these are standard MS playbook tactics; attempt to preempt the judicial process with a "solution" that no-one wants or has asked for, and when everyone points that out, spit the dummy and say "NOW look what you made me do". It's disgraceful, petty and stupid. I'm not surprised it's been met with a marked lack of enthusiasm.
From EU response they clearly believe that there is a need for a genuine consumer choice in the browser market.
Which simply proves how far behind the times they are - this is 2009 not 1996. I can download and install with loads of different browsers - I keep IE on my system as a back up as some sites do not work that well on non-IE browsers. I prefer Firefox but have tried Opera, Safari and Chrome.
Personally I believe EU has consistently got it wrong over MS - they fail to understand that the OS needs to develop and features which were once extras become essential. An OS without a browser is now the equivalent of a car without a steering wheel
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