   MS to sell Windows 7 without IE in Europe EC baawws
  Yesterday I read on some news source that Microsoft plans on releasing Windows 7 on the European market without Internet Explorer in it. This because the EU is having another in-depth search to see if Microsoft abused it's position to gain control of the browser market.Instead of the EU finally being happy, they're all the sudden finding another reason to go 'baaawwww' at Microsoft. This limits choice of the consumer more according to the EU, and gets the consumer less than what they pay for. Instead, the EC explicitly wants Microsoft to allow consumers to choose which browser they want to use.I find this rather a curious situation. The EU heavily promotes a 'free market', and yet seems to find time and time again a stick to hit Microsoft with. While in some cases these might valid, I find this rather odd in this cases. Opera bitched in januari of 2007 to the EU that Microsoft abused it's market position to push them out of the market. Considering these market penetration statistics from jan 2007:2007  IE7  IE6  IE5  Fx  Moz  S  OJanuary  13.3%  42.3%  3.0%  31.0%  1.5%  1.7%  1.5%SourceFirefox had a market share of 31% in that period, while Opera had a negligible share of 1.5%. I find the complaint weird, because clearly it shows that the Mozilla foundation was capable of gaining a solid 32.5% share in a market dominated by Microsoft. In other words, the complaint doesn't make sense.However, what I find more strange, is that the EC forces Microsoft what and what not to do with it's flagship product. While I agree Microsoft must amend the rules that count for everyone, in a world where you want to promote free market as much as possible, you shouldn't meddle in what a company wants to do with it's products as long as it abides the law. In this cases, it just looks like the EU/EC is trying to find a reason to hit Microsoft with a stick to force them into a course they find the right one.Personally, Windows without IE is going to be a bitch to use. But what happens if MS is allowing the consumer to select their browser, is that they have to provide support for it as well. And instead of people actually blaming their software, it's all Microsoft's fault when it doesn't work.Toolmaker   
  It could just be me, but it seems like downloading the browser of your choice would be a little awkward without a web browser to download it with.   ;Quote:Original post by SiCraneIt could just be me, but it seems like downloading the browser of your choice would be a little awkward without a web browser to download it with.It sure is, but isn't it kinda awkward for BMW to give you the choice to use Opel, Volvo or a Fiat engine in your car instead of their own engine?   ;Quote:Original post by ToolmakerQuote:Original post by SiCraneIt could just be me, but it seems like downloading the browser of your choice would be a little awkward without a web browser to download it with.It sure is, but isn't it kinda awkward for BMW to give you the choice to use Opel, Volvo or a Fiat engine in your car instead of their own engine?Although I don't fully agree with the European Commission's decision in this particular case either, that comparison makes no sense.   ;  Why does it seem like those with no common sense are always the ones that get to make the important decisions?   ;Quote:Original post by MikeTacularWhy does it seem like those with no common sense are always the ones that get to make the important decisions?Anyone with common sense wouldn't want to be in such a position.   ;Quote:Original post by MikeTacularWhy does it seem like those with no common sense are always the ones that get to make the important decisions?It's called the "European Union".  Basically, you can have your country controlled by a bunch of anonymous bureaucrats sitting in the capital city of another country.  Imagine if there was an American Union, whereby the US was directly influenced and ordered about by legislation coming from Nicaragua?  A dumb, dumb system.But yeah, SiCrane basically said it.  I'm sure that system builders e.g. Dell will throw something in like Chrome or Firefox, but what if you buy Windows 7 boxed in a shop?Actually, I haven't read the article but perhaps, just perhaps, Internet Explorer is included but disabled and not installed by default and it can be enabled through Control Panel like the Games and IIS on Vista.  However, a lot of home users and non technical folk won't know how but I suppose those types won't care for buying W7 boxed; they'll get it preinstalled on their new PC.Interesting to see how this'll pan out.;Current Browser Statistics based on w3schoolsThose stats you listed seem made up...I love watching the browsers fight over the years. It feels like just yesterday that IE5 died and IE6 slowly die under the pressure of it's successors, IE7 and IE8. Woo go firefox!   ;  As time goes on, computers are becoming more and more integrated with the Internet. Microsoft has been able to stage off true competition in the OS space due to having domain control on what works on the 'average computer', and by controlling the browser space they can continue the monopoly by incorporating OS-specific hooks and applications.  Such quick examples being Active X and Silverlight.  (Before someone mentions Moonlight, that's just normal Embrace, Extend, Extinguish)- I'd wager that most copies of Windows 7 will be OEM preloads, and the hardware vendor is going to tack on the Browser just like every other piece of crapware that goes on.  This means that Joe what's-a-browser won't have to try to find one anyway.- Internet Explorer has come bundled with Windows and Firefox has passed the 30% share point.  What this really means that:  Of people who know what a browser 'is' and its true role -- and know of Firefox and prefer it -- and know how and do download and install it -- and are not 'locked' into IE due to business machine or other lock situation -- DO install it.  I think the 'idea' is that the browsers should be based on their merits and not install base so a poor browser must evolve or die and not simply get a free install-base existence.Given how the OS is starting to become less important, it's good that steps are being taken to not allow one company to retain a monopolistic hold on what should be installed on computers.[Edited by - necreia on June 13, 2009 10:53:49 AM];Quote:Original post by ukdeveloperIt's called the "European Union".  Basically, you can have your country controlled by a bunch of anonymous bureaucrats sitting in the capital city of another country.  Imagine if there was an American Union, whereby the US was directly influenced and ordered about by legislation coming from Nicaragua?  A dumb, dumb system.Actually, that's pretty much what the US is. States like Virginia get ordered around by legislation coming from people who live in states like New York. A lot of people thought it was a dumb, dumb system and that resulted in a little something called the American Civil War. Nowadays people tend to think of the United States as an indivisible whole, but that's only to be expected when you've killed off nearly half of an entire generation of people who thought differently.