Microsoft to Give EU Users a Browser Choice
The European Union antitrust investigation into Microsoft and its bundling of Internet Explorer into every installation of Windows has caused the world's largest software maker to re-tool a special version of Windows 7 for the European market.
Microsoft's original plan to appease the EU was to not bundle Internet Explorer 8 with Windows 7 at all. But just last week, Microsoft proposed a new system whereby users would be presented with a choice upon installation of which browser he or she wishes to use.
"Under our new proposal, among other things, European consumers who buy a new Windows PC with Internet Explorer set as their default browser would be shown a 'ballot screen' from which they could, if they wished, easily install competing browsers from the Web," Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said in a statement in a CNet story.
The European Commission confirmed that it received Microsoft's proposal of having a consumer ballot screen whereby consumers could easily install competing web browsers, set one of those browsers as a default, and disable Internet Explorer.
The Commission wrote in a memo, "Under the proposal, Windows 7 would include Internet Explorer, but the proposal recognises the principle that consumers should be given a free and effective choice of web browser, and sets out a means – the ballot screen – by which Microsoft believes that can be achieved. In addition OEMs would be able to install competing web browsers, set those as default and disable Internet Explorer should they so wish. The Commission welcomes this proposal, and will now investigate its practical effectiveness in terms of ensuring genuine consumer choice."
Should this be approved, it would be a positive step for European consumers. Previously, those in the EU were faced with a version of Windows 7 that would have no browser at all. This sparked concerns from the European Commission that, "without measures such as a ballot screen, [Microsoft's removal of IE] would not necessarily have achieved greater consumer choice in practice and would not have been an effective remedy."

Seriously tho, it takes 10 seconds to open up IE, go to www.firefox.com and click the big Download Now button.
"But we euro-pee-ons hate IE so much,we cant bloody stand to look at it at all! Thats Bullocks! Rubbish!"
[\Sarcasm]
Those who are, are probably too stupid to choose a browser on their own.
I imagine the ballot screen will have IE 8 first, in bold, perhaps having to click on an "Other browsers" button to get to the rest. "Are you SURE you want to install Firefox? Microsoft is not responsible for any DANGER from use of other web browsers."
Call Steve Ballmer about it and if MS ever made a Linux version I am sure that SuSE (Novell) and Ubuntu (Canonical) will include IE in their distributions.
No of course not. That would be having a FAIR MARKET, which the EU doesn't care about.
But... but, how does one install FF without another browser?
Well, friends, I believe MS still bundles an FTP command line client.
It's pretty straight forward, actually.
start -> run
cmd
ftp
open
ftp.mozilla.org
anonymous
my@fakeemail.com
cd pub
cd firefox
cd releases
cd latest-3.5
cd en-GB (or other language of your choice -- user freedom at its finest!)
bin
get Firefox Setup 3.5.1.exe
Voila. This is, I believe, what the EU had in mind.
They mean that their 'Commission' is so incapable of rational thought that it can't decide if giving people a list of browsers to choose from constitutes genuine choice! Because MS offerred it, maybe it's a false choice. Maybe MS secretly bought up all these other browers.
I have nothing against the EU - I do against bureaucrats. No matter what country they come from, they can't actually think. They love zero tolerence policies, so you have no choice, and then to turn around and require others to offer choices. There is a short circuit in a bureaucrat's brain, I think.
since everyone here beside joex44 is so smart... and that the europeen are so dumb... why are you guys saying we cant dl a new browser without a browser????
should we now say "stupid americans" ???
The EU is blocking this 3rd party cause PPL CAN MAKE MONEY out of it. Thats it, nothing else.
You can make money out of anything if you just use your head. Since I make money from sports betting, is the EU going to block gambling sites because I refuse to roll over and work for 50 years like everyone else? I would not put it past them, so it's a good thing I don't live in a communis-, erm, EU country (nor do I live in the US, so bashing them won't do anything for you).
Besides, Microsoft is a business, which means that *GASP!* they exist to make money.
Is it unfair to carry only your own products in your store? I hardly follow the logic of fair play and in anti competitive behavior that most anti trust lawsuits are made on. Esp with trends showing a decline in IE usage making it seem more of a way to take a swipe at MS because Opera a European biased company filed a complain against them. Anyways Europeans aren't stupid just their form of justice is all we are saying along with that the EU has the belief that the user cannot find their own products, isn't that what advertisement is for? Browsers can't advertise?
rant rant rant rant rant.......