EU Vista, XP users will also get to vote IE off the island

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Upon closer inspection, Microsoft's browser ballot proposal for the EU is much more drastic than one would expect. Users will choose from up to 10 different browsers. And it won't be limited to Windows 7 users; the ballot screen will be pushed as an update to current Windows XP and Windows Vista users. PC manufacturers will also have the option of shipping one or more third-party browsers in place of IE8 without fear of retaliation from Microsoft. It's a big change for a company that just last month wanted Windows 7 to be shipped in Europe without Internet Explorer 8 so as to avoid a ballot screen in the first place.

The balloting process will last for five years from the date the European Commission agrees to it, which pushes it into Windows 8 territory. So let's look at the nitty gritty of the browser ballot announced late last week.

The browser ballot screen

As you can see above (the final design may change), the ballot screen will give users who have IE set as the default the opportunity to choose an additional browser to install. Windows users will also be informed that they can turn IE off altogether.

The ballot screen will reside on a Microsoft-maintained website which will be updated monthly. Each column will show the browser's icon, description, and a URL. For each browser, there will be an "Install" link that will download it from the vendor's server. A "Tell me more" link will also send the user offsite to a product page. Downloading and installing a browser from the ballot screen will work the same as any other manual download.

Microsoft says it will distribute the ballot screen software via Windows Update to XP and Vista users within the EU. Those with Windows Update switched off won't encounter the ballot screen. Conversely, the update will be installed automatically for users who have opted into Automatic Updates. It will be rated as "High Priority" for Windows XP users and as "Important" for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users.

After the update is downloaded, users who have IE set as the default browser will see the ballot screen the next time they log in. They'll have the option of downloading and switching immediately, sticking with IE, or postponing the decision indefinitely.

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