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Topic: Browser

Windows 7 web browser ballot mock-up ... thoughts

Summary: In order to try to dodge the European Commission bullet heading its way, Microsoft has proposed introducing a ballot screen that allows users to choose their browser of choice. Here is a mock-up of that ballot screen ...

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

By for Hardware 2.0 |

In order to try to dodge the European Commission bullet heading its way, Microsoft has proposed introducing a ballot screen that allows users to choose their browser of choice. Here is a mock-up of that ballot screen:

Few points worth noting:

  • The ballot screen seems like nothing more than a web page.
  • It will be displayed at first run and it will be available from the Favorites listing and an icon on the desktop.
  • Notice how IE will be pre-installed, giving Microsoft the upper hand with respect to lazy consumers.
  • Browsers are listed in order or market share.

My feeling is that this whole effort is pointless. People who are passionate about a particular browser will install it, but the majority won't care, click "Select Later" and head off to Facebook, Twitter or whatever.

Thoughts?

Topic: Browser

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27 comments
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  • Agreed...

    People will either choose Select Later or just click IE.

    However, you have to think that some people who are fed up with IE will take a closer look and decide for themselves.

    The sad part? Opera will probably gain 0 market share, even after all the millions in legal and government hours and fees. Even Chrome has double the usage share of Opera, and it's not even a year or 2 old.

    It's all really silly.

    I also understand where Firefox and Open Source folks are coming from, I mean, they worked on this really neat browser for years, and they enjoy it (Yippy), and of course they want others to use it too now. It actually reminds me of when your younger, you always run to mom or dad and say "Hey look at this, look at this, look what I made.", you want people to use what you made, or at least worked on. You're so dedicated to it and you can't see why others don't see the same things you see with it.
    TylerM89
    Reply Vote

    • Everyone calm down ... THIS IS A MOCKUP

      Of course the ballot is going to be web-delivered. The screenshot Adrian is illustrating is JUST A MOCK-UP.

      In Win7E, IE is not installed, but the IE rendering engine is. So, most likely, in Win7E, you'll see a host app which has little more than a simple frame appear showing the ballot screen.

      See ... no biggie. Now, let's get back to arguing on the other posts, right? ;)
      de-void-21165590650301806002836337787023
      Reply Vote

    • Not in Europe

      Firefox has more than 50% market share in many countries in Europe. This methodology will give people a fairer chance of picking something other than IE. If IE is preinstalled, in my experience, most users never look further.
      jorjitop
      Reply Vote

      • Not to rain on the parade...

        but if FF has 50% marketshare there, then why is IE seen as unfair? Sounds like there is half as much chance that people will pick another browser to me?

        All this is really about Opera feeling like their browser is better then everyone else's, and obviously IE is the reason they haven't done better in the European markets.

        Just saying.

        Personally, I feel FireFox is the better browser of them all, and I'm looking forward to the 3.7 and 4.0 releases.

        I'd rather run a FireFox beta then the most stable Opera.
        ShadowGIATL
        Reply Vote

        • Your argument is all wet

          You seem to think that just because "all is sweet and rosy" now with FF doing so well that Microsoft's bundling (etc) hasn't damaged the market.
          zkiwi
          Reply Vote

          • Well if everything is all sweet and rosey...

            then how CAN you say the market is damaged?

            Because Opera can't push their browser even for free? They are competing with FireFox, Safari, and Chrome too you know, and so far the only browser NOT doing at least ok is Opera.

            Does anyone stop to think that maybe Opera really isn't that great a browser? Yes, it is fast, but most of its features lack polish, and has usability problems.

            Now, that said, it IS a great broswer on mobile phones. However, the embedded version used on devices like the Nintendo Wii... purely sucks and lacks up to date flash and java support.

            I'm sorry, but I just don't see Opera as a real contender at this point.
            ShadowGIATL
            Reply Vote

          • And yet...

            IE being bundled has damaged the market. Go and deny history all you like, but that's the fact. So what if it's taken a fairly long time for a regulatory authority to come down on Microsoft for it. The wheels of justice do indeed turn slowly.
            zkiwi
            Reply Vote

          • In the US maybe...

            where the marketshare for IE is much greater. But in the European side of the world, things appear much different. IE has less then 50% marketshare there, and the ompetition offers a FREE browser.

            When your talking about free products, it's pretty hard to argue that any one of them could hurt the market. Technically there is no market, but rather a selection of freely available browsers.

            In reality, this whole show that the EC is putting on is only hurtiong the consumers that have to deal with yet another nagware screen popping up, and all the while footing the bill for the EC to make this decision for them.

            I'm sorry, but you can feel that way if you want, but you can't convince me that wasting time on petty issues like this helps anyone involved, consumer or company. Why attack MS on such useless matters when their are legitimate reasons to hammer them on?

            Me personally, I prefer FireFox, and think that IE had some serious bugs that need to be worked out. So for those that think I'm defending MS cause I like them can take a hike.
            ShadowGIATL
            Reply Vote

          • wait wait...I have to get the violin...nt

            nt
            TheBottomLineIsAllThatMatters
            Reply Vote

          • I have to agree...in the end I think they will be

            seen as a bunch of cry babies getting the "Dad" i.e. EU to beat up on everyone. Of course that makes the EU look just as bad as Opera's browser.
            TheBottomLineIsAllThatMatters
            Reply Vote

          • Honestly...

            If this was FireFox that had started it, I would be more supportive. However, FireFox really is a great browser, and Opera has issues.

            Opera has only themselves to blame for lagging in marketshare. Most of it comes from selling a broken embedded browser that lacks up to date flash and java support. They charge moeny to install Opera on the Nintendo Wii (the only browser allowed to install) and it barely works on any sites.

            While the flash support is due to Adobe not supporting the embedded version, Opera should at least stop charging for the broken browser.

            The fact that they wanted to charge $50 for the PC version in the beginning was a huge setback as well, they should have learned from Netscape that it wouldn't work.

            If you preinstalled Opera on all OS and then let people select another browser if they wanted, most probably would choose another in my opinion. Probably IE atleast half the time, as long as it wasn't Opera. And I'm not partial to IE.
            ShadowGIATL
            Reply Vote

        • IE Seen as Unfair...

          Not because of its market share, but because it's embedded in the operating system. The EU consider that an unfair advantage over other browsers. That's what this whole thing is about.
          NCWeber
          Reply Vote

          • I know why...

            the EC is on board. But it really has little to do with IE being embedded or marketshare.

            It's more about a pissing contest they hoped would net them more money. It didn't pan out that way this time, at least so far, and that irks them. But they can't let that show, so they are going along with it as quietly as they can.

            And before people jump in about showing proof, this is my OPINION, and you're welcome to draw your own. Mine, however, will be hard pressed to be changed as I have seen how greed motivates people.
            ShadowGIATL
            Reply Vote

    • The most interesting part is...

      Unless Opera throws another fit (and they probably will at some point) to get at the first of the list, they will probably not increase their share any.

      In my opinion, it serves them right. There browser lags in marketshare not because IE is preinstalled, but rather because it really isn't that great.

      FireFox and Chrome are far better browsers, and even IE makes them seem like a basement project that has little funding.

      The only choice in the list I would place Opera in front of is Safari, and the is mostly because how the really bad press Safari has gotten lately about poor security.
      ShadowGIATL
      Reply Vote

  • Small Nit

    "Notice how IE will be pre-installed, giving Microsoft the upper hand with respect to lazy consumers."

    You should take this out of the article. Remember MS *tried* to pull IE entirely. The EU was not impressed...

    So in a way the EU *demands* IE be preinstalled!

    Talk about sending mixed messages! (laughing)
    wolf_z
    Reply Vote

  • I tend to agree

    Most users will look at the options and say "But I want to install Windows."
    Breetai
    Reply Vote

  • Well if it HAS to happen

    the only thing one can argue about is the order. One could propose that putting it in order of market share gives an unfair advantage. So that would suggest that the EC would probably be keen on putting them in alphabetical order or something like that.

    But then perhaps MS drops the "Internet" from the name of their product and jumps to the front of the line again, and different languages may have different alphabets (not sure how much this would affect EU users) making it tedious to keep the order straight in different languages. So I don't know. Personally I liked the original solution of installing nothing and just letting the user or OEM make the decision.
    Michael Kelly
    Reply Vote

    • In other news...

      Microsoft has changed Internet Explorer to aaaInternet Explorer. Google has changed their browser from Chrome 0123Chrome

      This reminds me of online video games where people who run servers set the name to start with "a", numbers, or special characters so their server shows up at the top of an A-Z list.
      TylerM89
      Reply Vote

    • Yay for the Aardvark browser!

      ... have just downloaded the source to Firefox and am rebranding as Aardvark.

      I SHALL OWN THE INTERNET ... mwwwaahhahhahhahahah!
      de-void-21165590650301806002836337787023
      Reply Vote

  • Apple Ballot: Windows or OS X

    Besides the silly "everyone would select OSX" comments....

    Apple computers can run OS X or Windows. I'm sure it would be wonderful if when someone were to purchase an Apple computer, if a ballot came up asking which OS they would like to use.

    This EU garbage is utterly absurd. Forcing a company to sell other companies products with no actual benefit to themselves... nothing.
    trance2tec
    Reply Vote
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