Mozilla Foundation Chair Mitchell Baker has slammed Microsoft's suggestion of a browser ballot to give users a choice of internet browsers on Windows PCs.
In a blog posting, he says that Internet Explorer will still have a "unique and uniquely privileged position on Windows installations."
The browser ballot is Microsoft's latest proposal to settle its long-running anti-competition dispute with the European Commission.
Vote now for your chosen browser!
Under the proposal, users of XP, Vista and Windows 7 operating systems would be presented with an election-style ballot allowing them to "easily install" competing browsers from the web. This would allow Microsoft to ship Windows 7 in Europe with the same functionality as in the rest of the world.
However, says Baker, the current proposal is tilted in Microsoft's favour. "Choosing another browser as a "default" does not mean that the other browser takes the place of IE. It is always there, often with prominent placement in the user interface," he says. "For example, the IE logo still remains unchanged on the desktop and in the Taskbar of Windows 7, which contains IE prominently."
Baker also suggests that downloading and installing a new browser is not straightforward for many novice users: "We expect to see many people who want other browsers get lost in the process before they actually succeed in making an alternative browser their main browsing tool."
He notes that IE retains a role in the Windows Update process and that Microsoft's proposal allows for other Microsoft products (except Office 2007) to retain hard-coded links to the IE browser. He sums up by saying, "The importance of the myriad of details makes it very difficult to predict how effective the proposed remedies will be, or the extent of any side-effects."
The European Commission is currently reviewing the proposal.
Your comments (8) Click to add a new comment
bullsoft
August 24th 2009
8. That’s Right I think 10 Users out of 100 cares about the differences in different browsers.
Most of the users using Internet explorer just because it is most used browser to get on to the internet.
Todd
Recovery Bull Software
http://www.recoverybull.com
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optimaximal
August 21st 2009
7. "Even I cannot fully get rid of IE inside windows, well that was on Windows XP though, not sure about the newer versions."
Microsoft starting cutting the IE/Windows links when Vista arrived. The Browser essentially runs in a sand-boxed memory mode and can't interact with the OS directly if UAC is running. They also developed a dedicated HTML engine for Office so that it didn't have to use IE/Trident (much to everyone's dismay)
Windows 7 goes further by completely eliminating that link with IE. You don't even need the browser installed any more, but its a good idea to put it on, lest programs that use its functionality stop working (such as Steam and the hundreds of other programs that piggyback its layout engine and connectivity interfaces).
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zelrikriando
August 21st 2009
6. The main issue is deeper than that, IE has hard links deep inside Windows, it's very hard for a non-tech user to set another browser as the default for every single feature within Windows (that is msn, office outlook etc.). That ballot is a nice idea though, but the implementation is what matters. Mozilla wouldnt even need a ballot thing if IE didnt have its root so deep inside Windows.
Even I cannot fully get rid of IE inside windows, well that was on Windows XP though, not sure about the newer versions.
I think it's a problem that is common to the whole software industry in general. We need to create standards... and not competing ones, real software standards.
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tfawcett
August 21st 2009
5. As the Mozilla chairman said, ordinary users might find it hard to install another browser, so it would be irresponsible of MS not to have a default (IE8) just in case the user can't add another via the voting process. Otherwise these ordinary users might not be able to get online at all.
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amit290
August 21st 2009
4. Personally I thought the ballot style was a very good idea. Certainly better than not shipping a browser with Windows 7.
Maybe a majority of people will click on Internet Explorer because they are used to it, prefer it, and like madjedi said just dont care just want to go on online.
If Mozilla want to become the number one browser they need to get their name out there to the casual, non-geeky folks who dont care about browsers. Why dont they advertise on TV? newspapers? the radio? etc.
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madjedi
August 21st 2009
3. I wonder what percentage of the general public actualy cares or understands the difference between browsers. I expect the majority of people are not even aware of this argument and dont care what browser they use as long as they can get on the internet.
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5inchfloppy
August 21st 2009
2. I agree with optimaximal, but I also get where the Mozilla guy is coming at.
The fact that you still get IE8 with Windows 7 even if you do get a choice to install other browsers is not much of a difference than what is the current modus operandi. Your choice is basically "IE8 AND Other browser".
Unless, at the beginning when asked to choose a browser, Windows does not install IE8 even when other browsers are chosen. Your choice now is "IE8 OR Other browser".
Which is what the Mozilla guy is ranting about.
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optimaximal
August 20th 2009
1. This complaint makes no sense and I doubt even the fervent fools at Opera would make such a claim...
Microsoft were never targeted for wanting to promote their browser over others (they are after all a competitive business) - The problem came from not presenting users with choice, especially as IE (5 for Windows & 6 specifically) were so awfully poor and stagnant.
Now they are giving the user the choice, its suddenly not acceptable, despite it originally being the desired solution by the EU. I don't necessarily like Microsoft, but even the worst company in the world needn't be screwed around like they are being (well, unless that company is Activision).
Also, does anyone care about how Apple tend to push Safari on their increasing market share of personal computers and (notably) prohibits rivals on the iPhone?
Are Google going to be hung, drawn and quartered for bundling Chrome with its upcoming OS?
Consistency is the way forward, else the technology industry will end up like Formula One!
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