In response to fair competition laws and accusations of monopoly abuse (as usual), Microsoft has relented on shipping Windows 7 with Internet Explorer, at least in Europe. Does anyone else find this a little strange? The main problem with IE was that it was built so closely into Windows that it was essentially a component, which led to the abuse accusations. But merely including another (free) product with the purchase of the OS doesn’t seem like a problem at all. And how are the poor Europeans supposed to download a new browser if they don’t have one to begin with?!
I’m sure they’ll figure that out. Perhaps a new install step with a browser selection? That’d work fine, but it still seems unnecessary as long as you can uninstall IE for real. But while the commission investigating Microsoft’s potential crimes has recommended offering a choice of browser (if they were to recommend anything, pending Microsoft’s appeal and the commission’s blah blah blah), Microsoft took the petulant route, saying simply “well if they can’t have IE, they won’t have anything at all! So there!”
Well, that’s putting it a bit too much in playpen terms. But I think we can all agree it’s an awkward solution to an awkward problem.
In bed.
So does that mean that Apple cannot ship OS X with Safari? Doubtful.
Does Microsoft truly have a monopoly anymore? According to Apple and it’s numbers (albeit misconstrued) they are growing steadily. And isn’t this the year of linux? Or was that last year. I can’t remember. =P
No browser? Well, so be it. They could ping web addresses to get there kicks. Ha! Does this mean Apples OSX has to remove Safari too? This is a road with no end.
Open a command prompt.
Type:
ftp http://ftp.osuosl.org
When prompted for user/password, enter anonymouse for both.
Type:
cd /pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/(the version you want)/win32/en-US/
The current version is 3.0.11.
Type bin, press Enter.
Type get “Firefox Setup 2.0.0.11.exe” (WITH the quotation marks) and press Enter.
Wait until the download finishes.
Type quit and press Enter.
Type exit and press Enter.
Firefox setup is now on your desktop.
Open it.
I can see my grandmother attempting this . . . “Which button is the command prompt?”
Try telling a bunch of computer illiterates that just want to read their blogs and e-mail to do that.
I think this is an incredibly idiotic move, and clearly a biased move if Safari is allowed to stay on MACOSX.
I didn’t put in ”http’://’ before the ftp hostname…
Actually, the European Commission rejected Microsoft’s offer for a browser-less windows OS. They identified the same problems that you have pointed out.
The EC seems to want Microsoft to implement the rival browsers on the OS, so the consumer can choose – as you have also suggested.
See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/technology/companies/13euro.html?ref=world