The hoopla was originally kicked off when companies behind competing browsers accused Microsoft of using the fact that the majority of computers ship with Windows to create a nice little browser monopoly for itself. The European Union issued a preliminary Statement of Objections in January, claiming the company’s practices "undermine product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice."
While Microsoft has said that the next version of its operating system will give users the ability to switch off Internet Explorer 8, it hasn’t stopped companies such as Google and Apple chiming in to complain about Microsoft's dominance in the browser market.
Reuters today reports that the Redmond company has responded to the EU’s antitrust charges and a Commission spokesman has said the response will be studied carefully.
Do you think Microsoft is guilty in this instance? Many of us can claim to have introduced one of our less tech-savvy friends to the joys of Firefox, a browser they had no idea existed because IE had come bundled with their PC. However, without Internet Explorer, we’d have had no way to download an alternative making it a catch 22 situation.