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Ballot scren headed to XP, Vista, Opera worries about IE logo recognition
Like sand through the hourglass, the browser ballot soap opera continues with a a whole new set of interesting developments.
Yesterday, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley poked around the small print of the Microsoft proposal and noticed existing Windows XP and Vista users are slated to receive the ballot screen via Windows update. From the release:
Here's where the plot thickens. We know that the EC likes the idea of the ballot screen. We know Opera CEO Hakon Wium Lie said "We're very happy with Microsoft's proposal." That doesn't mean they're done complaining yet.
Yesterday, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley poked around the small print of the Microsoft proposal and noticed existing Windows XP and Vista users are slated to receive the ballot screen via Windows update. From the release:
"Microsoft will distribute a Ballot Screen software update to users within the EEA of Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows Client PC Operating Systems, by means of Windows Update as described hereafter: A software update enabling the Ballot Screen to be displayed will be made available to all current and future users of Windows XP and Windows Vista who receive updates from Windows Update."
So in addition to Windows 7E customers getting the screen, users who already own Windows will be shown the ballot at some point in the future when an Update runs.Here's where the plot thickens. We know that the EC likes the idea of the ballot screen. We know Opera CEO Hakon Wium Lie said "We're very happy with Microsoft's proposal." That doesn't mean they're done complaining yet.
"We're not sure about the use of logos," Lie told TechFlash. He continued "The blue 'e' has become so associated with the Internet in general, due to the bundling with Windows. We think using the blue "e" might not be such a good idea."
I have some further bad news for you, Mr. Lie. Stripping the icon would only make things worse for browser choice. I'll give you two reasons:
- It's not just the blue e, it's the name people recognize.
- Microsoft's browser is the only one that uses the word "Internet" in it, and that's what laymen know they need to play Chuzzle, watch YouTube, and find free porn.
Their bright red logo might be their biggest draw on the ballot. It's easily the most visible, and some people are bound to click as a result. Strip the logos out, and less knowledgeable users are left thinking "what has Opera got to do with internet?"
At that point, it becomes a battle between IE, Safari (who users may recognize from their iPhones) and Google Chrome (since people think Google is a web browser anyway). Indeed, Opera probably stands to lose the most from such a change.
Comments
46
Subscribe to commentsAurrinJul 28th 2009 5:07PM
The biggest WTF there is that if you look up at the icon in the upper-left, it's IE rendering that page. Meaning that they're going to have to include IE after all, only to include a mandatory start page where other browsers can beg for you to uninstall the one you're using. That is so messed up it's not funny. I will *not* use Opera now, no matter how much they beg, and will encourage others not to do so because of this stupid stunt.
RoyalKnightJul 28th 2009 7:25PM
I can't believe Opera has resorted to whining and complaining about someone's logo. It's one thing to go after how corporations like Microsoft leverage one market (OSes) to gain an advantage in another (browsers). It's another thing to go after someone's brand name and reputation directly. Why don't they go after the "Internet" in "Internet Explorer" while they're at it.
For people who don't like Internet Explorer (or with low-spec systems that Firefox will drag on) I usually recommended Opera. For people who wanted something new but didn't like Chrome, I usually recommended Opera. I myself used Opera quite a bit, told everyone it was the most underrated browser.
Now, amidst all this mud-slinging and market share greed, my enthusiasm has become flagged, and I'm increasingly embarrassed to mention Opera. Did Opera forget about its users and become so focused on Microsoft and this anti-trust case? Did they suddenly start considering its robust user base as merely its market share, dehumanizing the community? Or Microsoft stepping back to be fair (for once) has caused that false sense of power to get to Lie's head?
daXJul 29th 2009 6:02AM
Opera has not forget about their users, unlike Firefox. There, another pointless comment to another pointless comment.
SilverWaveJul 28th 2009 6:22PM
"For XP users, Microsoft plans to designate the ballot screen a “high priority” update when it pushes it out over Windows Update; for Vista and Windows 7 users, the ballot screen will be designated “important,” the proposal says."
I seem to remember that IE8 was marked as a critical update? Am I wrong?
RyanJul 28th 2009 8:52PM
If I was Microsoft - I'd put 4 browsers no-one has heard of next to IE8, and put the main competitors in the 'More choices' section. There would be no grounds for complaint from the EU, since they are listed on the website, otherwise the browsers currently hidden away would have the same rights to complaining.
HernilJul 29th 2009 1:57AM
Oh GEEZE Opera! Shut up! Seriously.
Next proposal: Windows 7 E will do an unattended installation of a random browser during the OS install. User will be dumped onto desktop and left to figure out what happened. Any support team (retail, corporate, whatever) will get to sort out the chaos. No one wins. Opera still isn't happy. BUT IT'S BETTER THAN HAVING AN IE LOGO!