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160 Comments
- AlienMushroom, on 02/24/2009, -9/+115Google, please end your hypocrisy already.
- JasonCox, on 02/25/2009, -3/+79I'd just like to point out that Google, above all other companies, stands to profit the most from alternative browsers such as Firefox gaining marketshare because in these alternative browsers Google is typically the default search engine thus more searches and more revenue. Mozilla also stands to benefit as well from the downfall of Internet Explorer as they receive quite a bit of money ($66 million out of their $88 million in total profits to be exact) to bundle Google as the default search engine.
The only company not making money here is Microsoft. IE is a free product (that I have to guess takes ALOT of money to support and maintain) and let's be honest, who here uses Live Search?
This isn't about user choice or the promotion of open standards, it's about money, plain and simple. - toxicityj, on 02/25/2009, -2/+64I seriously don't get this. And I'm honestly inviting someone to explain this to me.
MS includes a browser with their OS. On top of that, you can download any browser you want and let IE sit there to rot while you're rocking the Firefox, Opera, Chrome, or Safari. And apart from the first running of IE after you install a new browser, IE makes no attempt to get you to use IE again. It doesn't switch around defaults or anything like that. What it does is what every modern (I call IE modern reluctantly) browser does (in regards to dealing with it being/not being the default browser).
Yeah, it's kind of a pain that you can't easily remove it, but you can't easily remove a lot of software that comes with Windows. Oooh well. - Topher06, on 02/25/2009, -2/+60So when Google puts a big ol' link on every Google search results page saying, "Download Chrome Today", everyone is just going coo and say "ah, look Google wants to play in the browser market too, how cute".
- koinek, on 02/25/2009, -6/+50I'm sorry, Firefox has proved that Microsoft's "monopoly" is not impregnable. IE has just been a convenient piece of software for most users to use. Mozilla offered users a great alternative with aggressive marketing and they jumped over (and continue to do so in droves).
In today's world, it would be pure lunacy if a computer did not have a browser installed by default. Since MS builds the OS, they're in their right to pre-install IE much in the same way that Macs come with Safari. I don't hear anyone making a stink about that.
Netscape, Chrome and Safari's efforts have just been lazy and they expect the courts to do the hard work for them. - adamwrose, on 02/25/2009, -3/+39How is Microsoft offering IE for free with Windows different than Apple offering Safari for free with OS X?
- AboveandBeyond, on 02/25/2009, -5/+36Google fighting anti-competitiveness? ROFL
- Plonkely, on 02/25/2009, -0/+27Google looking for more Chrome users?
- KaivenTor, on 02/25/2009, -2/+28I have a question: If Windows no longer comes with a browser, how are we supposed to download a secondary browser to replace IE? I mean, will Windows come with copies of other browsers or have to provide a service or does the EU expect everyone to order CD's with their brand new internet browser on them and wait for a few weeks?
- blades301, on 02/25/2009, -3/+23Really Google? Really? Uncompetitive market? This coming from the same company that basically dominates search. Make Chrome better and maybe people would adopt it over Firefox, until that day comes I'll stick with Firefox.
- GQCarrick, on 02/25/2009, -5/+24I didn't know that 68% Marketshare was a monopoly. Maybe if Chrome didn't suck they would have a better marketshare, Firefox seems to be doing pretty well despite Microsoft's browser "Monopoly".
- Hercules, on 02/25/2009, -3/+21Seriously this is retarded.
When Google sued Microsoft first about their desktop search I started to hate them. Now it's even more. Imagine if they went to sue Apple and said "We would like Google Desktop Search to replace Spotlight".
I'm sure that will go over well.
When Google makes their own OS, they can put whatever they want on it. Until then, they have to learn to deal with it, and MS making a good OS (finally) in Windows 7 is going to hurt them more than ever. - NobodyWhoCares, on 02/25/2009, -5/+18I agree with you there. It's got nothing to do with the "IE sucks" or not argument. (Ok, it does suck, but moving on.) But there's absolutely nothing stopping you from using another browser. In XP you're a little more limited, as you have to use it for the Windows Update site if you go that route, but otherwise you never ever have to see it. Vista/7 even more so you never have to see it except the one time to download your browser of choice, and it'll never bug you again.
I also use Linux on a daily basis. By default,the stock install of Gnome comes with Epiphany, KDE with Konqueror, etc etc.. how is that any different? If I don't want them, I throw on Firefox or Opera or whatever I choose. Just like Windows.
I don't use a Mac, but doesn't it come with Safari by default? And can't you switch to another browser? Also just like Windows?
So why is Microsoft being targeted specifically?
I'm definitely not a Microsoft fan in any shape or form, but this is just a little silly. If IE was actually interfering with the operation of a 3rd party browser thats a fair complaint. But it's not. There is no restriction of choice in what browser a user picks. Sounds more like a stunt to drive up the user base of their own browsers. - BooLag, on 04/23/2009, -6/+15It's pretty much like a start-up steering wheel company suing car manufacturers for including a steering wheel with every car they ship.
Browsers are now a necessary feature of any modern operating system, and pretty much every operating system nowadays comes with one.
MS may be guilty of many dirty tricks, but this particular antitrust case is *****! - UselessTrivia, on 02/25/2009, -2/+10Microsoft doesn't make money off IE? Are you kidding me?
They've used IE's position as market leader to become the defacto standard in business web application development. IE is basically just a component now of Microsoft's business software strategy.
Windows is already on almost every business PC in the world. IE comes with windows. Business applications are almost always web-based these days. .NET is the background infrastructure for a lot of them.
That's where the profit comes in. IE is a "gateway drug" that makes deploying apps to clients easier, as long as you're paying for things like MS SQL 2005, Windows Server 2008, and the zillions of middleware applications microsoft sells.
Personally I don't think there's anything wrong with this. I expect to have a browser bundled with my OS just like I expect to have notepad, calculator and paint. I'd be pissed if Windows didn't come bundled with IE. How would I download firefox then? - insanebrain, on 02/25/2009, -0/+8stay on topic please...
- bdfariello, on 02/25/2009, -2/+10So yeah, Microsoft, clearly the answer here is to not ship any browser with your OS, and let people fend for themselves. I'm sure everyone that buys a computer nowadays is capable of finding and downloading a browser via terminal, after all.
- trevorh, on 02/25/2009, -3/+10People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
I like google but I think they are as much of a monopoly as microsoft. - bugalou, on 02/25/2009, -3/+9So ipods shouldn't come bundled with itunes because apple has a monopoly on MP3 players? OMG, they are unfairly crushing out other media management apps!
This is such a crock. An OS without a built in web browser now adays would be completely stupid. Let's move out of the 1990s mentality. We will let all these banking companies run wild with US tax payer money, but lets go after "M$" since the bundle a damn web browser like any other gui based OS out there today. - littledictator, on 02/25/2009, -1/+7A really good point! If the courts win on this one, it'll put the internet back into the dark ages in my opinion! Remember when people had to buy a boxed copy of IE or Netscape off the shelf before being able to get on the net?! How is that going to be convenient for any user to have a "out-of-the-box" experience?!!? This is ludicrous and I'm glad I'm not alone in kinda being on Microsoft's side for this one.... hopefully the courts lose this or else, what next? Microsoft takes Apple to court for bundling Safari????
- inactive, on 02/25/2009, -8/+14I also agree With Toxicityj. They include IE with their OS for free. What's the problem??
- hpstg, on 02/25/2009, -1/+7The problem is not the Windows monopoly itself. The problem is that Microsoft is using its existing OS monopoly to induce another one (the browser monopoly).
I wonder though, how would anyone be able to download Firefox if IE didn't come preinstalled with Windows :P - KillerMoth, on 02/25/2009, -1/+6Nonsense. An OS shipping today without a browser is a faulty product. People that want another browser will get one.
- Valyn, on 02/25/2009, -2/+7So.... Is Microsoft going to get sued for every component of their OS? Seriously, Id bet that Microsoft has a monopoly on Solitaire. This is retarded. There would only be 2 options if this case comes out with a win. Windows is forced to have 12 different browsers when it ships. Or none at all. Haw can either of those 2 things be better? If windows has 12 different browsers, websites are going to have a hell of a time trying to keep up with the standards they all use. Or people will have to go to Best Buy and buy a freaking CD with Firefox/whatever on it. How is this better?!
- rakeshishere, on 02/25/2009, -0/+5The Big competitor to Chrome is not IE but Firefox ...
- deepthawt, on 02/25/2009, -8/+13Evil Google going up against Evil Microsoft.. Too good for words..
- blind51de, on 02/25/2009, -2/+7It's called "butthurt".
Google wants a stake in pretty much everything. - alexawesome, on 02/25/2009, -1/+6I'm all in favor of having more competition among browsers, as that increases the capabilities and innovations cross-browser. That said, if MS doesn't bundle it's OS with a browser (namely, IE), I'm kind of wondering how people are supposed to get online and download anything else. Are they going to have to go out and buy flash drives with Firefox installed on them? Am I missing something here? I could totally be having a blond moment. Should we start using those AOL cds?
- alcavit, on 02/25/2009, -1/+6I use Google Chrome not because I want to give anymore more money to Google, but it is the best browser I have used to date.
I honestly cant believe Google is complaining about this. They started in 1998 and have become the internet literally.
Lol Google! - localzuk, on 02/25/2009, -2/+7It isn't that monopoly that they're being sued over. It is the OS Monopoly that they are leveraging in order to gain marketshare in the browser marker.
- bobburn1, on 02/25/2009, -5/+9because Microsoft isn't cool enough..I guess.
- Schmich, on 02/25/2009, -0/+4At first I was going to write something against your comment but the more I think about it the less I can defend what Google said...
"Google believes that the browser market is still largely uncompetitive..."
It's true most people still use IE. A lot of people think IE _is_ the internet. However,
"...which holds back innovation for users"
the innovation would mostly be directed towards the users that do NOT use IE. - inactive, on 02/25/2009, -0/+4They already do that on youtube
- MrBabyManSTFU, on 02/25/2009, -6/+10I'd like to see MS completely remove IE as a standard from all versions of Windows then ship to OEM's & retail like that. What sort of backlash do you think they'd get for not including a browser? How would someone go about getting a copy of FF (or whatever browser you want) assuming most people this would affect don't have multiple computers or the know how to go to a friends house and download it to a jump drive or something.
I'd be willing to bet people would have a complete ***** fit and then MS would be sued for uncompetitive behavior because they shipped something 'incomplete' or some such argument.
Sure, MS does a lot of bad things that large corps often do but sometimes you have to admit it sucks having market share. Also, on that token; how come Apple isn't being sued for including Opera with every version of OS X it ships? - UnWeave, on 02/25/2009, -1/+5I read something about this the other day, and you are right in thinking that they would have to bundle other people's browsers with their own OS. To me, THAT is anti-competitive against MS. They have to ship software that isn't even theirs.
- Plonkely, on 02/25/2009, -1/+5Sorry, would you like everything on Digg to just be about the USA? I suggest you stick to Boston's local newspaper; sounds like it will cater to all your needs.
- bodyslam911, on 02/25/2009, -1/+5Hello Pot, meet Kettle.
- toxicityj, on 02/25/2009, -0/+3You don't understand what a monopoly is, do you?
- byronm, on 02/25/2009, -2/+5Its actually pretty good. Needs some work but far from horrible.
- theirishman16, on 02/25/2009, -1/+4Stop bitching, hardly microsoft's fault google 'chrome' is *****. Design a decent browser and we might use it.
- toxicityj, on 02/25/2009, -0/+3Agreed. I digg because while I don't agree with the first part (Ms is no longer innovative nor forward thinking) I agree that they've forgotten their roots.
- MiDri, on 02/25/2009, -0/+3Chrome uses some undocumented windows api, which may be the reason it hangs in windows 7.
- inactive, on 02/25/2009, -1/+4hmm I didnt think about that, thats a good point because google is definitely monopol in search just like MS in OS.
- jakem1, on 02/25/2009, -0/+3The current thinking seems to be that Microsoft should be forced to bundle someone else's browser with their OS.
Hopefully it won't be Google's ad-infested spyware browser and hopefully Opera won't be rewarded for starting this nonsense in the first place. Firefox doesn't seem to need it as they're doing pretty well by themselves.
This is the most pointless action in history and will end up with another modification to the N version of Windows that nobody buys. Well done EU. Perhaps you might like to concentrate on the recession rather than this crap. - LocalDocal, on 02/25/2009, -0/+3@Dan
That's extremely silly. Why would Microsoft care so much about Chrome, but have no problem with Firefox, Opera, and Safari? I also don't get why you would blame Microsoft when three alternative browsers (including IE's primary competitor, Firefox) work completely fine and one doesn't. Wouldn't the logical choice be to blame the one browser that doesn't work? - inactive, on 02/25/2009, -2/+5That's an awful analogy.
- kelly, on 02/25/2009, -4/+7Simple.
Microsoft has a monopoly in operating systems software. Apple does not.
When a company has a monopoly, they must abide by different rules. - MtheoryX, on 02/25/2009, -0/+3The fact that Google is good is what helped them get on top, true.
The fact that they're the default search engine for many browsers (FF, WebKit, Safari) is what is keeping them there. THAT'S what the problem is here. This isn't some selfish, altruistic move on Google's part. - theOster, on 02/25/2009, -3/+6isn't 7 just vista with a few UI tweaks?
- doshindude, on 02/25/2009, -2/+5They seriously need to stop bitching about IE being bundled with a windows OS. this isn't 1999 anymore, the browser market is competitive and it doesn't matter if MS bundles their own browser into their own OS.
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