Microsoft agrees to give choice of browsers to Windows 7 users in Europe

Truth Talks

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Mon Jul-27-09 02:57 PM
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Microsoft agrees to give choice of browsers to Windows 7 users in Europe

Source: ZDNet

"Microsoft is willing to give Windows 7 users in Europe a choice of browsers, rather than simply no browser.

"The European Commission (EC)announced on its Web site on July 24 that Microsoft has now proposed as part of settlement talks to allow a “ballot screen“ to be included in Windows 7. Microsoft initially was dead-set against allowing the inclusion of a ballot screen which would prompt users at set-up to select among a number of different browsers, including Internet Explorer (IE) 8, as its legal representatives made clear earlier this year.

"The ballot screen was one of the ideas the EC regulators were floating as a possible remedy in the Microsoft vs. Opera antitrust case that Opera lodged in late 2007. The case involves whether Microsoft has harmed consumers and competitors by bundling Internet Explorer with Windows. Microsoft and the EC have been in settlement talks for the past month or so."

Read more: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=3502

Microsoft's business model has always resembled a global crime spree. Thus, many people rejoiced when the U.S. Dept. of Justice nailed Microsoft for anti-trust violations, giving Bill Gates a reputation as a monopolist. (Whether or not Microsoft is or ever was a genuine example of a monopoly is a matter of debate. I like to refer to it as "monopolistic.")

Unfortunately, Gates was rescued from justice by his pal George W. Bush, who visited Medina (where Gates lives) several times after he was (s)elected pResident.

But the European Union hasn't given up. The EU has continued nipping at Microsoft's heels, issuing warnings and levying fines. Norway's Opera - manufacturer of the renowned browser of the same name - deserves much of the credit for this latest blow against Microsoft.

At least one observer notes that Microsoft may be standing on a slippery slope. Having more or less admitted that it needs to clean up its act in Europe, will it now come under closer scrutiny (and accountability) elsewhere? (Is Microsoft now going to have to give everyone a choice of web browser?)

It is my fervent hope that the EU and other institutions will begin taking a closer look at Bill Gates' other mega-corporation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This almost Orwellian organization is very frightening, very dangerous and has little to do with philanthropy. (The LA Times printed a sensational expose on this shady investment firm.)

I would like add a note about browsers. They've evolved into some of the most powerful and versatile software programs - and they're free. I used to promote Firefox on my websites. However, I now urge people to install several browsers on their computers, as each has its strengths and weaknesses.

Lean and mean, Opera was the default browser on my PC, and it remains my default browser now that I've upgraded to a Mac. Firefox is my second favorite browser, partly because of its fiery anti-Microsoft fan club. Google has released another sensational browser, Chrome (though the Mac version isn't yet available). Flock is a browser designed for use with social networking sites. Of course, Safari is Apple's browser. Still more browsers are being developed for netbooks and mobile devices.

The increasingly fierce competition has led to ever greater innovation - an arena where Microsoft is hard pressed to compete. Please take the time to download Opera, Firefox and Chrome and give them a spin. (Don't forget to check out Firefox's famous arsenal of extensions, or add-ons.) If you spend lots of time on the Internet, you'll probably find each one an improvement over Microsoft's Internet Explorer, long the bane of web designers and security experts alike.