DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Windows 7 to ship without a web browser in Europe

**pooncophy** · 06-12-2009, 08:59 PM

Microsoft chose to restrict choice in this manner. It could have created an easy installer that put all major browsers on equal footing. But instead, Microsoft chose to inconvenience its customers.

It makes no sense to MS to take on this responsibility. Why should MS work with their competitors and decide who is or is not a major browser to include?

This is not even taking into account the Windows 7 code is on its way to release. Adding major new functionality like this would delay the product significantly and subject it to new rounds of testing.

They had two options: Write code and maintain lists/download sources for competitor's products and delay the release of Windows 7 to incorporate it to appease a retarded ruling by a retarded bureaucratic entity, or simply remove the browser from the EU release and let OEMs/people install whatever they want.

The latter is far more logical, especially considering the implications (legal and otherwise) of MS linking to sites they do not control from Windows. Consider:
- What happens if a user chooses Firefox during the WINDOWS INSTALL/SETUP and it encounters an issue. People will call MS support and ***** about it, by default. After all, to them, Windows installed it.
- What happens when the URL the tool points to is no longer valid or worse, for example...what happens if Opera's site is hacked and the .exe it downloads is a virus? What is MS' legal responsibility here?

If MS provided a sanctioned way to download their competitor's products, it opens them up to legal and technical issues they should not have to deal with it.

It's far better for them to remove IE from the OS and then point the finger squarely at the EU, which people are finding more and more to be a ridiculous overregulator.

PS: What browsers should they include? Opera, Safari, Firefox, Flock, K-Meleon, Mozilla, Chrome? In addition to being a confusing and complicating UI for most users who don't know or care about their browsers, it's an arbitrary list. There are hundreds of different browsers to install, who decides what is included or not?

06-12-2009, 08:59 PM	#25
pooncophy Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 498 Senior Member	Microsoft chose to restrict choice in this manner. It could have created an easy installer that put all major browsers on equal footing. But instead, Microsoft chose to inconvenience its customers. It makes no sense to MS to take on this responsibility. Why should MS work with their competitors and decide who is or is not a major browser to include? This is not even taking into account the Windows 7 code is on its way to release. Adding major new functionality like this would delay the product significantly and subject it to new rounds of testing. They had two options: Write code and maintain lists/download sources for competitor's products and delay the release of Windows 7 to incorporate it to appease a retarded ruling by a retarded bureaucratic entity, or simply remove the browser from the EU release and let OEMs/people install whatever they want. The latter is far more logical, especially considering the implications (legal and otherwise) of MS linking to sites they do not control from Windows. Consider: - What happens if a user chooses Firefox during the WINDOWS INSTALL/SETUP and it encounters an issue. People will call MS support and ***** about it, by default. After all, to them, Windows installed it. - What happens when the URL the tool points to is no longer valid or worse, for example...what happens if Opera's site is hacked and the .exe it downloads is a virus? What is MS' legal responsibility here? If MS provided a sanctioned way to download their competitor's products, it opens them up to legal and technical issues they should not have to deal with it. It's far better for them to remove IE from the OS and then point the finger squarely at the EU, which people are finding more and more to be a ridiculous overregulator. PS: What browsers should they include? Opera, Safari, Firefox, Flock, K-Meleon, Mozilla, Chrome? In addition to being a confusing and complicating UI for most users who don't know or care about their browsers, it's an arbitrary list. There are hundreds of different browsers to install, who decides what is included or not?
	Quote