IE/EU bickering continues ... Mozilla joins in land grab for eyeballs

By showing a readiness to bend over backwards to please the European Commission on the matter of IE in Windows 7, Microsoft showed a weakness, and Mozilla now takes the opportunity to pounce.

Mitchell Baker, Chair of the Mozilla Foundation, is concerned that IE is still "uniquely privileged" in Windows.

Baker outlines several points (which I will leave you to read), most of which have merit, but the problem is trying to fathom out what Mozilla's real beef is with Microsoft. The whole argument is starting to feel to me like a frenzied land grab for eyeballs. After all, it seems to me too make sense that IE would be "uniquely privileged" within Windows given that both are Microsoft products. How is this different to Safari on Mac or Firefox on Linux? There can only be one default browser. Also, I can't see a way that Microsoft can alter Windows in such a way as to both be able to eradicate all traces of IE and code support for all third-party browsers to be able to take over all of IE's functions within Windows.

Also, where does it all end? If you accept Baker's idea of IE being "uniquely privileged" and try to change that situation by allowing the top three, four, five of whatever to "advertise" within Windows, doesn't this just create a new tier of "uniquely privileged" browsers? Pretty soon Windows just turns into an ad for hundreds of different browsers. That's not choice for the user, it's mowing them down in the cross fire.

I'm no IE fan, and I'm also no Microsoft apologist, but I'm starting to feel less sympathy towards Opera and Mozilla. Personally, I think that Google has the right idea - Don't like how things are on Windows, then develop your own OS, market it and let market forces decide. Heck, even Apple's "let's try and sneak Safari onto Windows as an update" is starting too look like a classy move.