With Microsoft offering to strip their own browser from Windows 7 in Europe, you’d think antitrust regulators are ready to drop charges and go home. Instead, the software giant and European authorities appear on course for another legal collision after the latter dismissed the offer, claiming it is an insufficient step that won\'t lead to better competition in the browser market.

Read the whole story

Since we get a lot of junkware pre installed with a new computer anyway, at least there is a chance it may become useful afterall... not!

Considering a possible future scenario, each vendor may be supplying their browser of choice:

e.g.
HP -> Windows 7 + Opera
Sony -> Windows 7 + Firefox
Dell -> Windows 7 + Chrome
Apple -> OSX + Safari (hey, wait a minute... )

I agree with that. Microsoft has been a helluva lot more gracious than I would have been if I were running things. I would have most likely told the EU to piss off and suck it.

At this stage of the game it doesn't matter what MS does in regards to browsers - EU isn't going to be happy about it and will "find" a way to sue.

I think MS should piss them off 100%. Offer NO Windows 7 sales to Europe and keep the OS in the America's and in the Asian countries.

... really getting silly now. Why they should be forced to provide other companies' products truly beats me. And why are Apple getting away with it anyway? End of the day it is Microsoft's operating system, and as long as it does not block you from installing 3rd party software why on earth shouldn't they be allowed to put whatever the hell they want on it? I really hope they give Europe the 2 fingers now. They're just picking on Microsoft for no reason to make a load of money. I wonder what the EU will come up with next if MS actually comply with this crap.

To be clear, though I am a Windows user, as a web developer I really really am not a fan of Internet Explorer, but come on... I can tell something ridiculous when I see it. To be honest I would personally love it if they offered a choice of browsers, but the question is why the hell should they?

Microsoft didn't kill Netscape. Netscape killed it self after 4.0 by creating an over bulky browser with a croppy rendering engine. I am a web developer and Netscape rendered codes were below par and was all ways slower then IE. Can't blame MS for making a better product.

I think MS Windows 7 should have the option of installing or not installing IE. It's that simple.

This is retarded. MS should give the EU the finger and threaten to not release Windows 7 there at all. The consumer backlash would be overwhelming enough to put an end to this stupidity.

How is Grandma Ethel going to surf the internet if her first pc is a Windows 7 machine sans browser? IE 5 was at least good enough to download Firefox.

Great idea everyone... Since MS is the one company that doesn't put profit before everything else they sure as hell should pass on releasing Win 7 to the EU and waste millions of dollars - And sure - I mean they have all rights to be upset - the EU could have hinted much earlier that they were breaking their laws.. oh no wait a minute - they did...

I'm not going to deny that MS has had a history of being very arrogant with their products. But the EU has been jerking their chain for a LONG, LONG time now routinely dragging them in and out of court for what seems to be the most insignificant of issues, just to get MS to cut them a check because they can.

Oh yeah, and all the while MS products are being pirated like nobody's business across Europe with zero ramification or assistance from the EU to stem that.

I wouldn't begrudge MS a bit to hold out on selling Windows 7 there.

The EU is a bunch of crybabies who just need money from time to time to shut up. Once was enough IMO.

And besides, the money they'd make from Windows 7 would probably be negated from the number of "fines" that they'd have to pay to the EU. And I believe that if Windows 7 RTM is even half as good as the RC, MS deserves to earn a profit from it.

I think Microsoft should stop shipping to Europe, until the European users start to raise hell.
Asking that they change the OS is beyond the pale.

So if Windows comes without an internet browser, how are you supposed to get on the internet to download a competing internet browser?

Quote of the day!

Actually, you used to be able to use Windows Explorer (the file manager) as a browser. A few years back, I often used it when IE didn't work right (back when I still used XP.)

Does that not work anymore?

Windows Explorer requires IE to be installed to understand the internet protocols, Windows Explorer on its own is incapable of websurfing.

As for this whole pop up screen where you choose what you want...
TERRIBLE FREAKIN IDEA. "Choose your favorite from these government sponsored programs!"

Computers are done if this is their future, people will only start using them less if you make a computer exactly like a cell phone. Don't think thats whats happening? You have become delusional.

Of course, these are the same people saying "Hey, we want to penalize the crap out of you, but please still do business here because our economy likes it" and "We use open source software, but since we don't actually know how to use it and still use Windows instead we want what WE want on it".

The EU started off with good intentions many years ago, maybe over 10 years ago now. But now they are an example of just how bad a 'government' can get if you let them. Why in the blank do they have any say in what any OS provider CAN or CANNOT ship with their OS? What happened to the consumer making the decision??


That above was just any general thoughts, what follows is my opinion:
MS f'd up when they refuesd to make IE6 better. Opera had been beating the pants off them since 2000 but they ignored it because they owned market share. FF started owning them in 2004ish? and it took until 2006 before microsoft woke up. so F them, F their browser, F them all, PROVE to me its a better brower (IE 8) don't assume I think yours is the best.

I can see the EU being upset about other adons like the firewall, or the malware protection, or the new antivirus. but come on, these are pretty recent things, and ALSO everyone that has ever bitched about MS has bitched those weren't built in (oddly enough). So... Lets see some balance in the arguments here.

The only way This Jose Vilches' guy comments about Bill Gay's browser is the right answer is if you're considering this Microsoft monopoly issue from the Microsoft perspective. That is, the wrong perspective. I am sure the microsoft board of directors and stockholders will be thrilled reading Vilches make his pro-monopoly arguments as much as hard-line Republicans love it when Rush Limbaugh says George Bush has been their best president ever. Vilches' remarks are sweet to hear to a few, but mean absolutely nothing to the rest of world.
From my perspective as a consumer forced to rely on Microsoft's bulky, slow and inferior products, I would welcome the oportunity to switch to Firefox and screw Internet Explorer for good. From another, more important perspective, everybody has the right to try and make a living as an adventurer or businessman in the software industry without having to endure the predatorial tactics of the biggest monopoly ever. Think about the clever designers of Netscape, the true pioneers of the Internet Era being run-out of business because Microsoft shamelessly claiming Internet Explorer was some kind of Windows code and not a web-browser!! And then instructing retailers to sell their computers with windows and Internet Explorer or nothing at all.

But guess what? "El que a hierro mata, a hierro muere": There is a new monopoly in town called Google. I am looking forward to seeing Google take Microsoft to the Ground.

If I get a team together and we create our own browser, would Opera be willing to host a download for my browser on their site? I mean, otherwise they aren't adequately supporting healthy competition. This isn't the same thing, but it's just as stupid. Anytime I find a computer with Opera on it, I uninstall it. I have done this a dozen times....

I just tested that with my Vista SP2 (IE7 removed with vLite) - it launches Firefox and opens the URL there. So I guess it just opens the default browser.