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Microsoft's IE7 Search Box Bugs Google
tessaiga writes "The New York Times reports that Google is crying foul over a new IE7 search box feature that defaults to MSN Search. Although the feature can be modified to use Google or other search engines, Google asserts that "The best way to handle the search box [...] would be to give users a choice when they first start up Internet Explorer 7." Google goes on to assert that the move "limits consumer choice and is reminiscent of the tactics that got Microsoft into antitrust trouble in the late 1990s". I notice that in my version of Firefox the search box defaults to Google, and that the pulldown menu of pre-entered options doesn't even include MSN Search, but Google seems to have been oddly quiet on that front for the many years prior to IE7 that Firefox has made this feature available."
The main difference between the IE7 search box and the Firefox and Opera search boxes is that the IE7 search box comes preloaded with only one search provider: MSN. Firefox and Opera both include a half-dozen or so providers when you install them. (You can add additional search engines in all three.)
Well, that, and Firefox doesn't have a setting for a "default" provider. It "defaults" to the last one you used, which can be helpful if, say, you use Google most of the time and want to do a bunch of IMDB lookups in a row. (Yes, you can add IMDB as a search engine.) Of course, if you've never used the box before, it starts out with Google...
Of course, you can always read what the IE team has to say about searching...
Nice writeup submitter as you presented an excellent balanced example rather than the often one-sided point of view.
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Firefox does give you a choice. Within the search bar you can click "Add Engines" and add more than two dozen of them :P
"I notice that in my version of Firefox the search box defaults to Google, and that the pulldown menu of pre-entered options doesn't even include MSN Search"
it only has 2 web search engines, the rest are specialized (ebay, answers.com, etc) but it DOES include an "Add Engines" link. the page it leads you to does have MSN search
-- lol pwned
OTOH, I would much prefer it DOES NOT search for anything. For example, if I type in stuff like 'wwwww.yahoo.com', that STUPID IE just search for it and with the address bar ending up modifed as "http://sea.search.msn.com/dnserror.aspx?FORM=DNSA S&q=wwwww.yahoo.com". Now I need to go delete those characters to modify the original URL!!
Ernest
No, but one of the lead Mozilla developers, Ben Goodger, is a Google Employee.
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Click the magnifying glass, click "Find search providers." You get a list of providers, including Google and Wikipedia.
Google needs to buck up and become a man, whining doesn't get you much of anywhere. Just like Firefox and Opera you can change your default search engine.
I also thought it was pretty interesting that IE supports OpenSearch, an open standard to add search engines (unlike FF and Opera).
That's not quite what the problem is either.
The real problem is that it's illegal to abuse monopoly powers by using your (otherwise legal) monopoly in one industry to force users to adopt your inferior product in another industry.
For a concrete example - if you have a monopoly in Operating Systems, you can NOT use your operating system monopoly to force users to use your online-store or your media-player or your single-sign-on-service. Google's arguing that you are also not allowed to force people to use your search engine either -- and that users are so unlikely to switch default browsers that making this the default in IE is effectively forcing the users.
Firefox does not have this problem, because it is not illegally abusing any monopoly powers.
My Mandriva build of FireFox 1.0.6 (which has patches from 1.0.7) has Google, eBay, Amazon, Dictionary, Creative Commons and Yahoo search engines.
the DOJ went out of their way to say that Microsoft's monopoly wasn't illegel
Having a monopoly isn't illegal. Leveraging your monopoly in one area (operating systems) to dominate another (browsers) is illegal. That is what Microsoft was nailed for.
So, not only would it appear to be inaccurate, but it just makes you look like an idiot to use it.
Pot, kettle.
Consider this:
1. Most PC's still only come with IE,
2. IE is the # 1 browser in terms of usage.
3. The Vista ones will come with IE 7.
4. If people search using the search box in IE 7, a lot of traffic will not go to Google.
I'm not sure if a court needs to be involved to make MS give people the choice, but it would be nice.
On the other hand..
considering that most PC's come with IE 6 pre-installed, and the default homepage is some MSN Smorgasboard, and Google is still #1, it makes you wonder if people are savvy enough to change their default pages to go to Google, and if they'll be savvy enough to change the search box.
This behaviour suggests, people are either changing their default home page, or actually going to Google, to search for something. In this case, Google has nothing to worry about.. the average user has become smarter.. plus Google could make deals with OEMs, install IE 7, make Google the default engine.. something like the Opera deal.
http://www.spamdailynews.com/publish/Mozilla_makin g_tens_of_millions_of_dollars_from_Firefox.asp
Why not fork?