Filed under: News, Microsoft, Browsers
European regulators could force Microsoft to unbundle Internet Explorer
A while back, the folks behind the Opera browser decided to do something about this, and filed a complaint against Microsoft with the European Commission. And last week, the Commission ruled that Microsoft is violating EC antitrust rules by bundling its browser with its operating system.
It's not clear what the next step is yet. It's possible that the EC could impose a stiff fine against Microsoft, or it could require Microsoft to offer a version of Windows without Internet Explorer in Europe (which would still be available as a free download from Microsoft's web site). That's the approach European regulators took a few years back with Microsoft's bundling of Windows Media Player. But even if Microsoft is ordered to unbundle Internet Explorer, Microsoft may retain the right to sell two versions of Windows, one with IE, and one without.
What do you think, is it anti-competitive to include a web browser with your operating system, or is it just common sense since most people expect to be able to surf the web immediately after plugging in their new computer? If Microsoft is told to unbundle Internet Explorer from Windows, would it lead to surge in popularity of alternative applications like Firefox or Opera?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
PS_4 said 2:11PM on 1-19-2009
"would it lead to surge in popularity of alternative applications like Firefox or Opera?"
Nope. How would the average user download those browsers without a browser installed on his PC? ;)
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JC said 6:20PM on 1-19-2009
Oh, I don't know, a package manager perhaps? Vista has the basic capabilities for a package manager:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749509.aspx
Now all MS needs to do (or needs to be forced to do) is to add a friendly GUI and let 3rd parties contribute to a "repository", where the package manager gets its packages from. Think of it as an App Store for Windows.
This isn't a new thing; Linux has really good package managers. Theoretically, Ubuntu can come without Firefox and still install other browsers.
Bryan Price said 8:22AM on 1-22-2009
Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!Ding!
Exactly my first thought
Jeebus said 10:36AM on 1-22-2009
@JC
Yes, but why? WHY?
This is beyond insanity.
Miguel said 2:14PM on 1-19-2009
I'm not an IE fan at all but this is getting ridiculous. The EU needs to leave Microsoft alone and let them do their business.
On a side note, if Microsoft can't bundle IE with windows, then presumably no browsers should be allowed to be bundled with the computer. If so, how does one get on the web initially, to download firefox, IE, opera or safari?
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William C Bonner said 3:22PM on 1-19-2009
If "no browsers should be allowed to be bundled with the computer. If so, how does one get on the web initially, to download firefox, IE, opera or safari?" was exactly the question I wanted to ask.
brian said 2:33PM on 1-19-2009
why do governments continually attack these super big businesses? are people better off from these attacks overall? its really hard for me to understand the benefit I am getting from these rules. i would really like to believe it is a check and blance that is done to keep prices down for the general public, however I can't help but feel there has to be some type of special interest group leading the charge, or some government body with their hand out waiting for a pay off. it has to be very frustrating to companies like microsoft who just have an honest product they want to sell. seems really silly. its not like they are selling crack.
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Mark said 2:34PM on 1-19-2009
Should Apple be forced to unbundle Saffari as well?
This really is ridiculous. Does this mean Europeans will have to go to the store to buy their browser of choice on a disc?
Nobody is forced to keep using Internet Explorer, just like nobody if forced to keep using Safari. Pretty much every desktop OS comes bundled with a web browser.
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jenn said 2:36PM on 1-19-2009
Wasn't Microsoft going to have a screen during install to select your primary and secondary browsers (or was that another OS).
But if EU forces Microsoft to have IE unbundled, then all OS'es should do the same.
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Banman said 2:52PM on 1-19-2009
If Microsoft does offer the choice then this whole thing is pointless.
I can see what Opera is saying about Microsoft having an unfair marketing advantage though. Of course 90% of personal computers have IE, but that's because it's packaged in. It's not because it's the only browser and it's easily outclassed by various browsers out there.
Anyway, couldn't the OEMs just add another browser after the fact considering how they bog computers down with bloatware?
Mike said 8:37AM on 1-20-2009
Jenn wrote: "But if EU forces Microsoft to have IE unbundled, then all OS'es should do the same."
Why? How many other OS'es have been convicted of monopoly practices (and not only by the EU?
VedicHymn said 2:53PM on 1-19-2009
So far, I really haven't seen any commentary on this story that isn't along the lines of "this is retarded" (although maybe phrased a bit nicer).
I think this MIGHT have been an issues years and years ago, but there's plenty of robust choices out there, and IEs marketshare continues to decline.
People bitch and complain about Microsoft not doing anything innovative or new, things like this are certainly a factor in controlling what Microsoft does.
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Stephen.4 said 3:04PM on 1-19-2009
So how are you going to download a web browser if you don't own another computer...
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ffwrx said 3:13PM on 1-19-2009
If Opera were trying to make the browser market 'more competitive' wouldn't it have made more sense for them to have the EC force no operating system to be distributed with a browser? Apple packages Safari, MS packages IE, most Linux distros package Firefox.
I used Opera for a while and thought it was alright but found it didn't render a number of websites that I use correctly (making them unusable). So I switched to Firefox. Based on this 'complaint' to the EC...I'll pass on using Opera again in the future due to their business practices.
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Oleg Prosalov said 3:20PM on 1-19-2009
This will just make the Windows version with IE cost more. Rediculous
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Peter said 1:36PM on 1-20-2009
When my Media Center install failed to install Internet Explorer, I realized just how tightly integrated the browser is to the desktop interface; without Internet Explorer, I had no My Documents folder, and the desktop looked like Windows 2000. After installing Explorer from a download, I got my My Documents folder, but the desktop did not change.
So, there is no way, in XP, to remove the integration of the internet browser.
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greg said 3:25PM on 1-19-2009
This is getting rediculous. The EU need to stop bleeding honest companies dry and work on stuff that actually matters. Or investigate MS for something they actually did wrong that hurts the consumers. I'm sure there's something...Come on EU, get a clue.
I live in the EU, btw
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Pavle said 3:47PM on 1-19-2009
Well, this is EU hypocrisy at it's finest.
As you guys pointed out brilliantly before, if there's no browser in any form and shape (IE, Firefox etc) in freshly installed OS, how are you going to get in in convenient way ?
EU have so many dumb laws that maybe have 10% sense in countries like Germany or France, but in Poland, Czech Republic or Spain they are forced by EU law.
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Bob Jones said 3:59PM on 1-19-2009
If Microsoft made a screen that popped up when you installed windows and had icons and descriptions for IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and asked you which one you would like it to install ... most people would still pick IE, a big-ish number would select Firefox, and still only a few would select Opera. What would Opera's excuse be then? Granted, most would select IE and the idea is over time people wouldn't regard it as the default and therefore just pick it ... but everybody does know about IE, and they might have learnt about Firefox, only the "daring" users would click Opera - and they will be the ones who already go download it, they might not stick with it, but they try it. So in the end, who ends up using Opera that wasn't already? It's probably a bigger boon for Firefox, because there'd be many novice-to-slighty-better PC users who've heard of Firefox but not used it and seeing as its served to them they think 'why the heck not?'.
Opera doesn't gain at all ... it needs greater recognition from people, then people will want to use it. Firefox got that recognition somehow, despite the fact Opera seems to allege that is impossible to do with Internet Explorer around - it's clearly not. If Firefox can do it with IE still bundled, it's not because of Microsoft that Opera can't.
I use Opera by the way.
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kingabraham3 said 4:00PM on 1-19-2009
maybe they should force MS to unbundle Paint, calculator, media center, and heck, even "windows explorer" (there are plenty of alternatives to explorer which are clearly being stifled my MS). heck, car companies should be allowed to bundle seats with cars because, hey open market, right?
What I would love is to see MS just pull out of all their European operations. There is enough new markets throughout Asia and soon after Africa for MS too still make bajillions of dollars. But MS shouldn't worry anyway, the EU will BEG them to come back...and if MS is smart, they'll ask for their money back from previous anti-trust lawsuits in Europe first.
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