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EU Wants Multiple Browser Bundling On New PCs

Posted by timothy on from the pushy-paternalism dept.

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.'"

8 of 464 comments (clear)

  1. This could get (even more) stupid by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Which browser do you want?
    [ ]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...

    1. Re:This could get (even more) stupid by impaledsunset · · Score: 2, 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...

  2. In a near future... by gmuslera · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Windows will become itself a linux-like distribution, with hundreds of included, tested, and secure packages of several alternative tools for the same purpose. Think like Kubuntu, that comes with the KDE desktop, Konqueror as default browser and several more "by default" applications, but where you can install with a command alternate browsers, office suites, entire desktops, and so on.

  3. Hm. by goldaryn · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Hang on a minute, browser bundling?

    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..

  4. Re:No fan of MS, but spreading FUD by Runaway1956 · · Score: 4, 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.

    --
    "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
  5. Re:The EU is still beating this dead horse? by artor3 · · Score: 2, 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).

  6. Re:Good? by artor3 · · Score: 2, 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.

  7. Re:That's not a fucking monopoly. by ozmanjusri · · Score: 2, Interesting
    But lets say it is a monopoly. A monopoly of free software damages no one.

    Why do you think web browsers are free?

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."