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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.'"

3 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...

  2. 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..

  3. 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