Scripps Employees Called 'Hackers' For Exposing Massive Security Flaw
Suspected PayPal Hackers Seek Deal To Stay Out Of Prison
Microsoft, OEMs forced to bundle Firefox, Chrome by the EU?
The answer: more bloat for the end user! Yes, the European Commission is considering forcing OEMs to distribute alternative browsers with their systems. As someone who works in the retail computer business, I cringe at this news.
Don't get me wrong - I load Firefox on every system I build, if for nothing else but backup when a customer overloads IE with toolbars and rogue ActiveX controls. But that doesn't mean I'd want a government body forcing me to install software that I might not otherwise.
Let's think about this for a minute, EU guys.
Windows also includes some other things that have competitors: Wordpad, Paint, Media Player, Defender, and Remote Desktop Connection, to name a few. Does that mean that a new PC will have to include Jarte, AbiWord, Gimp, Paint.Net, WinAmp, VLC, GOM Player, Media Monkey, AdAware, SpyBot, MalwareBytes AntiMalware, Kerio, Comodo, ZoneAlarm, PC Anywhere, VNC, TeamViewer, and a slew of other apps whose functionality Microsoft has built in to Windows?
Where does it end?
And why do I get the feeling that, ultimately, the consumer is going to get the short end of the stick?
Comments
37
Subscribe to commentsMichaelJan 27th 2009 11:10AM
Also, why can Apple bundle Safari with OS X, but Microsoft can't bundle IE with Windows?
LethALJan 27th 2009 11:44AM
In short: market share.
ZavenJan 27th 2009 11:49AM
Because windows sells more copies of its product than Apple. Yes this makes sense to me (sarcasm). One company sells more of its product than another company, so it must include its competitor's product as well.
MichaelJan 27th 2009 12:00PM
Market share shouldn't matter. Apple is getting increasingly more popular, and if they force one company not to bundle software, then they all shouldn't. I'm not biased towards either manufacturer, but fair is fair.
nicbotJan 27th 2009 12:12PM
Yes. It's just plain wrong to hold one company to a standard and not another.
And it's not like they're forcing MS to bundle Safari...It's Firefox and Chrome. This could turn out to be a huge security concern imo.
I think choice by education is a better course of action and spending then forcing OS bloat.
Think outside the box EU and get with the times.
RichardJan 27th 2009 12:07PM
Why not just bundle OSX and every form of Linux with Windows? They are the dominant OS on the market, right? Windows will now come on its own hard drive since a DVD won't be able to hold everything that will need to be included with it. Just plain silliness.
MiguelJan 27th 2009 11:48AM
You are absolutely correct Lee. It's a slippery slope; once the government meddles in one part it will set precedents to meddle in others. The EU is beginning to abuse its power as a regulator and ultimately the consumer will get the short end of the stick with extremely sluggish machines with 200 programs pre-installed, virtually no hard disk space left, and mass confusion for all.
Muffin_manJan 27th 2009 12:01PM
The more I hear about this story the more I get pissed off at the EU.
-=Ben=-Jan 27th 2009 1:01PM
Firefox... it should be installed by default.
Chrome can go suck a chrome pipe.
micronautJan 27th 2009 1:18PM
erm... you buy a Microsoft operating system then wonder why the functions have an MS badge on them? erm... ok.
I'm going to write to Vauxhall and demand a Ford steering wheel.
PS: Is anybody still bothered about browser wars? You can get one for every day of the week can't you? Tuesday is Chrome day.
ChristianJan 27th 2009 1:20PM
I'm so gonna ban Opera on any of my future PC to install if they really go with this....
warhammer300Jan 27th 2009 1:23PM
I think there is a simple solution for Microsoft here. Have the browsers (whichever they end up being) on the installation disk with a simple check box during installation to determine which browser(s) the user wants to include. Thus, no end-user bloat. (Not that Microsoft is famous for taking the best route, or anything. :)
jupiterthunderJan 30th 2009 1:10AM
That doesn't solve the OEM issue.
doublecuffJan 27th 2009 1:44PM
This article is interesting but a tad hyper in it's speculation. The following articles may therefore be worth reading:
Opera sings praises of Microsoft-browser statement
"...Opera in December 2007 that Microsoft was continuing to abuse its dominant position by tying its browser to its operating system and by not following web protocols."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/19/opera_microsoft_european_commission/
"The EU did not specify what it may demand of Microsoft, but it left the door open to a solution similar to the 2004 case, when it required the company to offer a version of Windows without the media player."
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=printArticleBasic&taxonomyName=Standards+and+Legal+Issues&articleId=9126299&taxonomyId=146
"Microsoft's tying of Internet Explorer to the Windows operating system harms competition between web browsers, undermines product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7834792.stm
triclopsJan 27th 2009 1:52PM
the greatness of socialism! using capitalistic terms like monopoly and free market competition to impose "fairness" in the marketplace. the eu should instead spend more of its time kowtowing to russias will for some drips of gas!
AyleJan 30th 2009 5:41PM
And in the mean time, you country is spending trillions to bail out banks and you auto industry... So much for free market.
Back to the topic: That decision is stupid if implemented.
triclopsJan 27th 2009 1:57PM
i wish microsoft would do more bundling! having to buy office separately on nearly every modern version of windows kinda sucks.
sitrucJan 27th 2009 3:35PM
Thanks for giving the EU ideas, Lee. They need more money...
j/k
AlExAkEJan 27th 2009 4:30PM
I think instead what MS should do is NOT include any browser at all. Instead, when you INSTALL windows should as you "What browser would you prefer" and give you the option to pick up 1 or more of the top popular ones like "IE, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Netscape and so on..." If is pre-installed same thing on the set-up page, so it downloads it and install it right away! That's the best way as far as I'm concerned!
zippyJan 27th 2009 6:46PM
I don't know what everyone is complaining about. Microsoft is a monopoly. The big 3 car manufacturers refused to evolve to meet customer demands and have all but gone under. Microsoft refuses to meet customer demands but has the luxury of being the most widely available and 'taken for granted' software company in the world.
I think its about time governments started putting in legislature that actually gives the consumer a REAL choice. I'm sick of seeing firefox being used by only savvy internet users. The same goes for vlc mediaplayer, process explorer, ccleaner, autologics defragmenter, thunderbird, rocket dock, launchy, paint.net.
It's almost becoming a rule amongst savvy computer users that 'if it's free, open source and does what any microsoft product does, then it's superior in every way'.
These sort of EU mandates are finally beginning to address that.
Maybe in 2020 we'll catch on in the US......