Microsoft's Browser Ballot Gives Alternative Browsers a Boost
Microsoft's Browser Ballot Gives Alternative Browsers a Boost
Posted 03/08/2010 at 8:47am
| by Paul Lilly
8
Comments
Print
As part of a regulatory requirement imposed by the European Union, Microsoft has implemented a browser ballot for European Windows users, and as expected, the ballot has given rise to alternative browsers.
According to Mozilla, more than 50,000 people had downloaded Firefox as a direct result of the choice screen Microsoft is forced to show.
"It's definitely being taken up, so consumers are paying attention and taking advantage of the choice being offered to them," said Thomas Vinje, legal counsel to the European Committee for Interoperable Systems, a lobbying group based in Brussels whose members include Opera.
While the initial results look promising for Firefox and other competitors, Microsoft said it's too early to draw a conclusion on whether the choice screen could lead to significant users ditching Internet Explorer.
More like this
Spartacus
March 08, 2010 at 4:00pm
I don't think it was any of the EU's business regulating what MS could package with windows, and the browser ballot is ridiculous. However, I am glad that it is allowing many people who didn't even know about alternative browsers to have a chance to explore them and see if they like them better then IE or not. As for myself, I've stuck to Firefox. I think IE 8 is decent... I tried Chrome for about a month, hated it, tried Opera for about a month, hated it, tried Safari for a while... not bad, but not even close to firefox... I like my addons!
Neufeldt2002
March 08, 2010 at 5:36pm
Any country, US included, has the right to question the products being sold in it. If they don't conform to the laws of said country, the powers that be, can demand that the product be changed to conform or you take your business else where. Whether we like it or not, EU is within their right to do what they did.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I wanted a signature, but all I got was this ________
Neufeldt2002
March 08, 2010 at 3:28pm
I would love to see this come to other markets. There are many people that don't realize they have a choice.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I wanted a signature, but all I got was this ________
bingojubes
March 08, 2010 at 5:09pm
i would like to see a DRM Chooser with my game's installer in the future, though the idea is a very wasted one.
- Always online, otherwise you can not play
- SecuROM
- Zero-Day (like on Gears of War for PC)
- None (I bought it, so I don't care which DRM this game uses!)
Dexter243
March 08, 2010 at 2:42pm
Nutcracklng snack
i have not used IE for 10 or more years
and befor i used firefox i used netscape till it was accuired buy AOL
i use Firefox on my mac to and i have nuthing but good things to say about it
think about it the gov even had complants about firefox
somthing about there scaning programs not work right with how mozila cashed it info
mac the way it is ment to be
Caboose
March 08, 2010 at 3:16pm
Macs must not have any use for a spell check eh?
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
Caboose
March 08, 2010 at 2:25pm
I'm content with FireFox. But like anything computer related, with adoption comes increased explotation. FireFox is next on the list after IE, then I think Chrome will follow suit. Safari or Opera, it's hard to tell. But I'd say that Safari relies on the adoption of MacOS.
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
JohnP
March 08, 2010 at 2:15pm
I have tried all sorts of browsers but it takes a lot of convincing before I actually move to a new one that I use all the time. BTW, just moving to Chrome...
Connect with MaximumPC
Featured Content
We introduce Intel's latest class of tablet killers and review 4 of the first Ultra...
Where have all the memorable videogame enemies gone?
This month's issue
Feature
11 Hardware Hacks
Feature
Overclock Your CPU
How-To
Supercharge Your Smartphone
Build It
A Powerful $830 Rig
Most Commented Articles
Latest Max PC Tweets
- maximumpc: Multi-Monitor Usage On The Rise http://t.co/eWfJfCEG3 hours 29 min ago
- maximumpc: Windows 8 Consumer Preview Coming On February 29 http://t.co/3Nd04FdR9 hours 17 min ago
- maximumpc: Can RIM *ever* catch a break? Not today! App World numbers not as great as previously reported http://t.co/3ERRhr311 day 5 hours ago
