Microsoft U-Turn: Windows 7 May Offer Multiple Browsers Comments

Gordon, get over it please! You only missed out the "ner, ner, na, ner, ner".

Anyway, I still don't get what the issue is here and not sure how this solution really helps. Those who even know what a browser is simply download and install the browser(s) of their choice anyway. The rest will be completely lost faced with a screen asking them do you want Safari, Chrome, Opera, Firefox..... Am I signing up for a holiday? a night out? some chavy bits for my car or some dodgy dvd of an old Clint Eastwood film. Oh well, PC World will make a killing. Thanks EU for making all our lives so much better! [removes tongue from cheek]

Does this finally mean that we do not need IE to access certain parts of the Microsoft website? Can we now run Microsoft update from Firefox? If this is the can then I can finally dump IE. If we still need IE to to these things then what the hell is the point?

To my mind, this was always a negotiating stance by M$, and to show the EC that they should think before they act.

If so, I would say it achieved its purpose.

I agree with Henryg.
Its all just one big tantrum :)

Windows Update runs without a browser, you need to stop using XP :)

Another case of Gordon grossly overestimating himself. It was patently clear from the start, as others have said, that the initial position was a negotiating stance. It didn't take the mind of a TR news guy to reach that conclusion.

*watches gordon's ego towering over the new york city skyline*

:)

"If this proposal is ultimately accepted, Microsoft will ship Windows in Europe with the full functionality available in the rest of the world."

Does this also mean - coz this was the sticking point for me - that as in the rest of the world, we will be able to UPGRADE rather than be forced to do a clean install?

Hehe.

Here's one of my comments from a couple weeks back:
"As much as people berate Microsoft (often rightly so), they're not idiots. I can't imagine that they'll supply an OS without some means of downloading a web browser. I couldn't tell you what their solution is (even Microsoft might not know yet), but I think they will make it very simple for the user."

Thing is, this was pretty obvious. MS were never going to shoot themselves in the food by effectively destroying their entire 'casual user upgrade' market. That said, I'm glad they're going with (Gordon's) 'pick your browser' option, it makes so much more sense.

Ackshuly, there's another option

As you must've already noticed, MS uses it's HTML engine for lots of stuff, including HTML help (just try running "hh.exe http://www.google.com"). So it can be made so that on the first login, hh.exe (or some dedicated application named "Download the latest browser of your choice") pops out opening something like "http://www.microsoft.com/links_to_latest_browser_versions.html" and users get their files downloaded.

Remember Billy G saying something elong the lines of this being like asking Coke to bundle a few cans of Pepsi with each case they sell.

I'm not sure the mockup image will be particulaly accurate. First the inclusion rule will presumably be any browser that has at least 0.5% in any EU country (hopefully on a selection of leading websites) so it'll include more than just those 5.

Secondly, Microsoft will presumably allow the companies to include descriptive text and screenshots so the users have an idea of the differences.

Of course, it'll probably be a webpage rather than a dialogue so that everyone sees the latest options instead of four year old discs ending up with choices that no longer exist.

So.... for those of use who have pre-ordered Win 7E with our fingers firmly crossed that common sense will prevail between now and October .... I await with interest to know what MS will actually be shipping us in October... upgrade capable or not.

@Xiphias: The screen shot is a cheap knock-off that's only there to provide some colourful eye-candy between the blocks of text. Don't worry, I'm sure the final version will be far more sensible ;)

@Mikey_uk: I'm hoping that 7E will be upgrade capable now. The EU legislation is designed to limit the spread of IE when bundled with Windows. If that were to cause sales of Windows 7 to be affected (as not being upgrade capable would) then Microsoft would have grounds for complaint. In fact, I wouldn't be suprised if they used that as a bargaining chip to get this deal...

I still dont see why they should have to do it, no one else has to. Seems like anti-MS BS to me.

Dont see why it should be one rule for them and one rule for everyone else.