Scenario 4. OEMs include IE, plus one other browser
Another 'hybrid solution' could see OEMs pair IE8 with another browser – giving people the option of choosing which to use. This would mirror the way that many people run their PCs already (a lot of people use Firefox, but very few go to all the trouble of uninstalling other browsers).
In a lot of ways this is the most appealing option. The browser makers – including both Firefox and Opera – believe that their products are better options and if people see use them then they will turn their back on IE, and this scenario would put this to the test.
Of course, deciding the second browser might be troublesome. Will Google edge it because of their might? Will Firefox push in with its burgeoning popularity? Will Apple make a late surge with Safari? Who knows.
Upsides:
- People will get the chance to try different browsers who wouldn't traditionally have shifted from the defaul.
- Other browsers will get a look in.
Downsides:
- Being the 'other browser' could potentially turn a dictatorship into a hegemony, creating a Pepsi/Coca Cola scenario.
Likelihood
- This is actually fairly feasible - with OEMs making sure that IE is on (and probably the default) but avoiding accusations of unfairness by sticking in an alternative.
