You Can't Change the Default Browser or Switch To Google Search In Windows 10 S (betanews.com)

BrianFagioli quotes a report from BetaNews: If developers do start leveraging the Windows Store, the Windows 10 S experiment could take off, as users won't find a need to install legacy programs. This will largely depend on web browsers being available there, as many users dislike Edge. Thankfully, Microsoft is allowing third-party browser installs from the Windows Store. Unfortunately, there is a big catch -- you cannot change the default. Buried in the Windows 10 S FAQ, the following question is presented -- "Are there any defaults that I cannot change on my Windows 10 S PC?" Microsoft provides the answer: "Yes, Microsoft Edge is the default web browser on Microsoft 10 S. You are able to download another browser that might be available from the Windows Store, but Microsoft Edge will remain the default if, for example, you open an .htm file. Additionally, the default search provider in Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer cannot be changed."

Comments

Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[SlashDread]

an anti-trust investigator wokeup.

Re:Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[MrDoh!]

Yes, it appears you can. On Chrome on Windows, under settings, there's the Search Engines option to change/add as you want, with the defaults, all configurable.

On Android, it appears it's not quite so flexible, I can only see;
Google,
Yahoo,
Bing,
Ask,
AOL.
But it's there. So looks like Google's offering a choice in Chrome/Android.

Re:Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[gnoshi]

You can change the default search engine in Chrome for Android (and iOS): e.g. https://www.technorms.com/4060...
You can install other browsers on Android and set them to be default to open URLs (actually, you're prompted for which browser to use the first time after installing another browser then open a URL).
You can turn off Google Location Services: e.g. https://support.google.com/nex...

Can't argue with the Skyhook thing though (e.g. https://www.theverge.com/2011/...)

Re:Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[Opportunist]

Well, it's perceived as less of a problem since Chrome is a pretty decent browser and Google a rather useful search engine.

Edge and Bing on the other hand...

Re:Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[DanJ_UK]

Apple does not sell more smartphones than any other company, Samsung does.

Re:Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[squiggleslash]

They'd point at ChromeOS, which supposedly Windows S is supposed to compete with, and say "Well, you can't change the default from Chrome there, right?"

The people who'll be taking notice will not be anti-trust investigators, but the schools etc that were considering this OS. Edge has yet to shake off IE's reputation for poor security, and with the best will in the world, with S supposedly sandboxed up the wazoo, I just don't see anyone who's seriously making a choice between ChromeBooks and Windows S-books saying "Oh, sure, they're both as secure, we'll go with Windows".

I think this is probably the deal breaker, and means Windows S is dead in the water.

Re:Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[Joce640k]

And that's when Microsoft will release a Windows 10 S N for Europe, an edition nobody will use ever.

Apart from all those people who buy a PC in Europe.

Remember: The USA is only 4% of the world.

Re:Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[flopsquad]

Incidentally, the headline for TFS is one excellent answer to YFS's headline question: Ask Slashdot: What Is the 'Special Appeal' of Apple Products?

For all the talk of "walled gardens," Microsoft has been demonstrating for years that they'd love to put up the same wall around an uglier garden.

Re:Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[CanEHdian]

And that's when Microsoft will release a Windows 10 S N for Europe, an edition nobody will use ever.

Actually it'll be a single, generic edition called Windows 10 N S A, licensed for use outside the USA.

Re:Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[thegarbz]

Edge has yet to shake off IE's reputation for poor security

No Edge has done that already. They have a new reputation of being unable to render simple websites and breaking more than providing content.

I just don't see anyone who's seriously making a choice between ChromeBooks and Windows S-books saying "Oh, sure, they're both as secure, we'll go with Windows".

If there's one thing that is actually certain here, it's that security will not come into consideration at all.

Re: Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[Ralgha]

Edge is actually very secure, primarily because it doesn't work with most websites.

Re:Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[DontBeAMoran]

I've heard they're going to make a special edition for Canada, Windows 10 E h.

Re:Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[DontBeAMoran]

So you combine all the iPhone models together but the other companies cannot combine their numbers?

Did you know that Apple sells more computers with an apple logo on them than any other company on the planet? It's true!

Re:Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe..

[fustakrakich]

Remember: The USA is only 4% of the world.

And 22% of the world's prisoners. I see a huge market opportunity...

Was anyone else's first reaction to Windows S...

[arglebargle_xiv]

... "I guess the S stands for Shit"?

Playing with fire

[evolutionary]

This is getting into anti-trust law violation borderline. Even in the USA, they could get burned for this like they did with the Internet Explorer. Some people never learn. We should all just switch to Linux.

Re:Playing with fire

[oobayly]

I had to search to find out what Microsoft 10 S is - it's apparently Microsoft's solution to Chrome OS, which also doesn't allow you to change your browser. It also doesn't allow you to install programs that are in the Windows Store, like the Chomebook. If you want a fully functional OS, then you have to pay for it.

I set up a Raspberry PI "Print Server" for a friend that allows his old printer to be shared over Google Cloud Print, so his daughter can print from her Chromebook because you can't install printer drivers. Annoying, but then he only paid £100 for a nice robust child-proof machine.

Now, if they start doing this for the full OS, that'd be an issue...

Windows RT Mark 2

[ReluctantRefactorer]

Windows 10 S is the walled-garden edition, so this is not surprising (but still a silly move from MS). I predict Windows 10 S will fail for the same reason that Windows RT failed: The inability to run "legacy" (desktop) Windows programs.

Re:Windows RT Mark 2

[Place a name here]

30% of 0 is still 0.

it worked perfectly last time (not sarcasm)

[Anonymous Coward]

It worked last time. Netscape was destroyed. That was worth the eventual fine,

Let's say this time it takes three years to go through the courts and all the appeals. Then they get a billion dollar fine. That is peanuts to Microsoft. They are facing an existential threat from Google and Chrome.

How fines should work

[houghi]

Fines about these should work exponentially. So if the first one is 1000, the second should be 1000^2 and the third 1000^3.
They should also be based on the income (not profit) of the company. for the first one.

It should also be linked to the CxOs, so if they pull of the same at a different company, the same fine applies.

OTOH they paid for their politicians fair and square, so there's that.

Re:Was anyone else's first reaction to Windows S..

[infolation]

According to the summary, the S stands for sexperiment:

If developers do start leveraging the Windows Store, the Windows 10 S experiment could take off,

Re:Was anyone else's first reaction to Windows S..

[arglebargle_xiv]

According to the summary, the S stands for sexperiment:

As in "Bend over and take Microsoft's Sexperiment up your Back Orifice", I assume.

Webkit

[mykepredko]

The real issue is that Edge/IE are not Webkit based browsers, which mean that they are unpredictable when viewing/accessing certain content.

If Edge displayed pages & content in exactly the same way as:
- Chrome
- Safari
- Firefox
- Opera
- etc.
then I don't think there would be the same outcry by locking in the browsers.

Re:Webkit

[Wootery]

If only there were a total monoculture for the web, huh?

No. I, for one, don't want WebKit to be the only game in town. That Mozilla and Microsoft are still maintaining their own rendering-engines is a good thing. (Especially considering that Microsoft is actually doing a good job these days.)

Re:Webkit

[aitan]

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but Firefox uses Gecko, and Chrome and Opera use Blink. Safari is the only mainstream browser that keeps using Webkit.
So you really need to test all of them and checking that Edge works as expected is not too hard (really, most of the time Edge works out of the box)

Then rename Win10S laptops to "Edgebook"

[mykepredko]

This goes with my previous post. With "Chromebook", the name tells you what you get.

The backlash is over the fact that Microsoft is performing a bait and switch telling you that this is a Windows machine and you should be able to configure it the same way you can with any other Windows machines.

But, if you're locked in to a browser and you want to compare it against the locked in browser of a "Chromebook", then you need to label it the same way - call it an "Edgebook" and let the market decide whether or not they feel it is superior to the "Chromebook".

It's called "services rendered"

[Gravis Zero]

If you're still buying something to use with any variant of Windows 10 then you are just begging to be abused. If you buy this, you are just getting the abuse you paid to receive.

Chromebook

[puddingebola]

Not being able to change the default browser, well, Microsoft's response is you can't do that on a Chromebook either. As for not being able to change default search, they are getting sued. Maybe they don't plan to sell it in Europe and can get away with it. It's not like you can't type duckduckgo.com in the URL bar, but Chrome, for example, gives you the choices of Yahoo, Bing, Ask, and AOL on a Chrombook.

Microsoft, please get a clue

[Opportunist]

When you do shit like this on your desktop systems, it doesn't sink the system, but any time you do this on ... well, anything else, from MP3-players to phones to tablets to ... you name it, it sinks the system.

Do I really have to put on my consultant hat and charge 1000 bucks an hour when telling you why so you finally believe me and get it?

You don't get away with it on the desktop because people accept this or even (*snicker*) like that. You get away with it because people have no choice. You get away with being an asshole because people have already sunk too much time, money and staff cost to switch. You get away with it because people are dependent on software that only runs on your OS and they can't put into a VM. That is the ONLY reason people put up with this. If they could, they would dump you faster than a chick that said "oh, and by the way, you should probably get tested" after you fucked her.

You are not in that position in ANY other area than desktop. You MIGHT get away with it to some degree in the server department. And maybe in the console market, mostly because anyone competing with you is at least as much a dick as you are. But anything like that will NOT be accepted in ANY other market. People will happily dump you and switch to something else because they easily can do so in all other areas.

This is a wedge

[DrXym]

Windows 10 S is designed to "normalize" the idea of running Windows without the ability to choose where you install your applications from or what applications are available to you.

It's Windows RT all over again and I hope it flops as badly. A device capable of running 10 S is capable of running Windows 10. There is no excuse.

Re:Challenge: Accepted

[FerociousFerret]

Seriously, how long will it take once this is available until there is a 'fix' for this irritation?

Oh no, no, no. Please, nobody 'fix' this. Let the market decide. Microsoft made this bed. Let them lie in it.

Not on phone either and it eats power

[stealth_finger]

You're stuck with it on mobile too, and it seriously rapes the shit out of the power regardless of use or settings. I have it on power saving from 100% battery and I'm lucky to have 30% at the end of the day. It's 13:47 now, I'm at work so it's not been on at all really other than at lunch and i'm on 66%. I generally only use it for browsing too with maybe 4 or so tabs on the go.

Let's have a little look now at the last 24 hours apps with usage shall we.

Microsoft Edge (never allowed in background) 84%
Audiobooked 4%
Groove music 3%
Start 2%
Films & TV 1%
Xbox and then some more all

It's fucking ridiculous. Unless there's something going on with it that I don't understand but I've seen the articles where they claim edge is good for power but unless the mobile version is vastly different from the desktop that's bullshit. It's probably just too few people to make a fuss and they don't really give a shit.

Users won't care..

[sqorbit]

Those who actually accept S as their OS won't care because they aren't the users downloading and installing other browsers. It's a bad move for Microsoft because it brings bad press (and possibly another anti-trust lawsuit). In the real world though the users sticking with S are the same users that click on the blue E anyway. While I would never support a decision like this. I really don't think it does much of anything to an already broken and restricted product.

Re:Stardock Start10

[CanEHdian]

The only quibble I have is with the Windows Telemetry crap which is difficult to turn-off/thwart. It's do-able though.

There are several options, e.g. O&O's ShutUp10 (awful non-intuitive interface alert) or Spybot's Anti-Beacon which also works for Win7 and 8/8.1.

Re:Was anyone else's first reaction to Windows S..

[jandersen]

... "I guess the S stands for Shit"?

Ah, but that is the selling point, you see, just listen to this wise tale:

In the beginning was the plan, and then the specification;
  And the plan was without form, and the specification was void.
  And darkness was on the faces of the implementors thereof;
  And they spake unto their leader, saying:
  "It is a crock of shit, and smells as of a sewer."
  And the leader took pity on them, and spoke to the project leader:
  "It is a crock of excrement, and none may abide the odor thereof."
  And the project leader spake unto his section head, saying:
  "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide it."
  The section head then hurried to his department manager, and informed him thus:
  "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength."
  The department manager carried these words to his general manager, and spoke unto him saying:
  "It containeth that which aideth the growth of plants, and it is very strong."
  And so it was that the general manager rejoiced and delivered the good news unto the Vice President.
  "It promoteth growth, and it is very powerful."
  The Vice President rushed to the President's side, and joyously exclaimed:
  "This powerful new software product will promote the growth of the company!"
  And the President looked upon the product, and saw that it was very good.

(http://foldoc.org/SNAFU%20principle)

Re:Stardock Start10

[LVSlushdat]

The only quibble I have is with the Windows Telemetry crap which is difficult to turn-off/thwart. It's do-able though.

Oh you are sooo precious... You *actually* believe that the "telemetry" you turn off is actually turning OFF?? or if it does actually turn off that it will STAY turned off... This is Microsoft we're talking about here.. Not the most trustworthy entity out there.. I trust them exactly how far I can throw them... hint: NOT very far at ALL...

Oh the entertainment value of these endless stories about the latest way MS has found to abuse those who still use their products... I've been MS-free for the last seven years and it certainly does feel GOOD....

Re:Chromebook

[guruevi]

I run Firefox and Opera on a Chromebook, you can buy them in the Google App Store. Even the Apple App Store has Firefox, Opera etc

The problem is that Microsoft actively banned Firefox from their App Store and currently does not have any browser build on the Windows Store.