jalaffa Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 The Browser Choice Screen for Europe: What to Expect, When to Expect ItOver the next few weeks, Microsoft will begin offering a “Web browser choice screen” to Internet Explorer users in Europe, as required by the European Commission. Internal testing of the choice screen is underway now. We’ll begin a limited roll-out externally next week, and expect that a full scale roll-out will begin around March 1, a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. If you are an Internet Explorer user in Europe, here is what to expect.First, a little background. In December, the European Commission and Microsoft arrived at a resolution of a number of long-standing competition law issues. Microsoft made a legally binding commitment that PC manufacturers and users will continue to be able to install any browser on Windows, to make any browser the default browser, and to turn access to Internet Explorer on or off. In addition, Microsoft agreed to use Windows Update to provide a browser choice screen to Windows users in Europe who are running Internet Explorer as their default browser. This browser choice screen will present a list of browsers, with links to learn more about them and install them. The design and operation of this choice screen was worked out in the course of extensive discussions with the Commission and is reflected in the commitment that Microsoft made. Users who get the choice screen will be free to choose any browser or stick with the browser they have, as they prefer.External testing of the choice screen will begin next week in three countries: the United Kingdom, Belgium and France. Anyone in those countries who wishes to test it can download the browser choice screen software update from Windows Update. We plan to begin a phased roll-out of the update across Europe the week of March 1.The browser choice screen software update will be offered as an automatic download through Windows Update for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. The software update will be installed automatically, or will prompt you to download or install it, depending on which operating system you are running and your settings for Windows Update. If you do not have automatic updating enabled, you can get the choice screen by going to Windows Update and clicking on “Check for Updates.”If you are running Internet Explorer as your default browser, here is what you will see after the software update is installed. An introductory screen appears first. In the screen shot below we added a few comment bubbles to point out certain features. The introductory screen provides context for the next screen, which shows browser options.Windows 7 users can “pin” frequently-used programs to the taskbar (shown along the bottom of the screen, above.) If Internet Explorer was “pinned” to your Windows 7 taskbar, the browser choice screen software update will automatically unpin it, as shown above. (Note that unpinning a program does not remove it from your computer.) Once you have selected your preferred browser, you can easily pin that browser to the taskbar just by right-clicking on the browser icon in the taskbar anytime it is running and selecting “pin this program to taskbar.”If you have any trouble finding Internet Explorer after it is unpinned, just click on the Start icon at the lower-left corner of your desktop and type “Internet Explorer” in the search box above the Start flag. (You can find any program in this way.)The browser choice screen, shown below, will present you with a list of leading browsers. In keeping with our agreement with the European Commission, this list is presented in random order. You can also scroll to the right to see additional browsers, which are also presented in random order. The browsers that are listed and the content relating to them will be updated from time to time. The screen provides three options: Click on “Install” to install one of the listed browsers. Click on “Tell me more” to get more information about any of the browsers. These links (and the browser logos and associated text) are provided by each browser vendor. Click on “Select Later” to review the choice screen the next time you log onto your computer. This software update will also add a shortcut to your desktop, from which you can launch the choice screen at any time.Finally, for those who prefer Internet Explorer: if you are running an older version (IE 6 or IE 7), Microsoft recommends that you upgrade to the latest version, Internet Explorer 8. IE 8 offers a number of significant safety and security improvements over earlier versions of IE. View: Original Article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator DKT27 Posted February 19, 2010 Administrator Share Posted February 19, 2010 I want to be in Europe. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jalaffa Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 A customized version of Firefox 3.6 (digitally signed 17th February) was posted on their servers yesterday.Get it from here:http://mozilla.osuosl.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/3.6/win32-EUballot/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chlorophyll Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 see this link toodirect link to download Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizarre™ Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 About time :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HATE9X Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 IE is horrible and so is WMP. I was too lazy to change to the N edition, but shall do that with next install.Doesn't make much difference just leaving them sitting around tho. But u know.. Just FFS. :Pedit: oops. N edition excludes IE & WMP & WMC. E rips out IE only. N-1 included IE again. seemingly ppl couldn't download a browser w/o browser.. :lol: (exactly what this ballot supposedly now 'fixes') Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toshiro Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 Thnx for posting this jalaf, while I was away :)Here's another source.. Which browser would you choose? View: Original Article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Lite Posted February 19, 2010 Administrator Share Posted February 19, 2010 Its a joke. Microsoft has done no wrong. They do as anyone else would do - include software they made a part of the package.If Microsoft have to do this why not every other operating system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator DKT27 Posted February 19, 2010 Administrator Share Posted February 19, 2010 If Microsoft have to do this why not every other operating system?They are hoping to see that happen in near future. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manpe Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 Good to see... I hope the same will apply to Apple and others. Otherwise I will have to agree with Lite, MS is no exception when it comes to "fair competition". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jalaffa Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 Its a joke. Microsoft has done no wrong. They do as anyone else would do - include software they made a part of the package.If Microsoft have to do this why not every other operating system?I think that it is cool that the average guy is presented with a choice of which browser to use :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ii_die_4 Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 I think Lite is talking about Apple and the stupid Mac OS.. And i totally agree with him.. Everyone is accusing Microsoft about anything.. In the end we gonna have Windows with nothing else but Explorer cause of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H3rby Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 What a huge crap! If the shit takes my time, so I'll sue Opera for damages pointless waste my time!Firefox has already surpassed the Internet Explorer anyway: Firefox überholt IE deutschlandweit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessicaLeigh Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 I think the entire situation is ridiculous. I can see the multitude of calls that will be coming in by the droves over this. If IE8 completely sucked, it would be one thing, but I don't think it does... in fact, I believe it's their best browser yet. I use FF exclusively, and tried really hard to find fault with IE8, but I can't find anything credible upon which to build a case against it. Every old man and old woman will be utterly confused with this prompt, when all they want to do is play Zingo on the internet with the big blue "e" like they've been doing since day-one. :s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jalaffa Posted February 20, 2010 Author Share Posted February 20, 2010 Me fed up instruction my younger brother to install firefox might be colouring my judgement here. But at the same that is my point. The average user tends to go with the flow. I don't see them actually being provided a choice as a problem :)Edit:Mind you I'm considering scraping the install of malware protection software on my main rig. Not needed for - common sense rule :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*dcs18 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Would like to curb my temptation, here to post a Firefox v/s Internet Explorer. :lol:Honestly enough, the option to choose a browser is a mighty generous offering by Microsoft. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBs Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Finally MS has accepted that their IE is a huge crap :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jalaffa Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Here is the most recent implementation of the actual browser ballothttp://www.browserchoice.eu/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HATE9X Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Here is the most recent implementation of the actual browser ballothttp://www.browserchoice.eu/scrolling to the right i see things i've never seen before.. :blink: at least mostly.now is this gonna be like anyone who wants their browser there, just send Eu commission some mail? :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jalaffa Posted April 28, 2010 Author Share Posted April 28, 2010 Its a joke. It's starting to become pretty annoying now. Every time I make a new Virtual Machine in XP-mode I have to take act on that ballot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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