Filed under: Microsoft, Browsers
Ballot scren headed to XP, Vista, Opera worries about IE logo recognition
Like sand through the hourglass, the browser ballot soap opera continues with a a whole new set of interesting developments.
Yesterday, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley poked around the small print of the Microsoft proposal and noticed existing Windows XP and Vista users are slated to receive the ballot screen via Windows update. From the release:
Here's where the plot thickens. We know that the EC likes the idea of the ballot screen. We know Opera CEO Hakon Wium Lie said "We're very happy with Microsoft's proposal." That doesn't mean they're done complaining yet.
Yesterday, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley poked around the small print of the Microsoft proposal and noticed existing Windows XP and Vista users are slated to receive the ballot screen via Windows update. From the release:
"Microsoft will distribute a Ballot Screen software update to users within the EEA of Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows Client PC Operating Systems, by means of Windows Update as described hereafter: A software update enabling the Ballot Screen to be displayed will be made available to all current and future users of Windows XP and Windows Vista who receive updates from Windows Update."
So in addition to Windows 7E customers getting the screen, users who already own Windows will be shown the ballot at some point in the future when an Update runs.Here's where the plot thickens. We know that the EC likes the idea of the ballot screen. We know Opera CEO Hakon Wium Lie said "We're very happy with Microsoft's proposal." That doesn't mean they're done complaining yet.
"We're not sure about the use of logos," Lie told TechFlash. He continued "The blue 'e' has become so associated with the Internet in general, due to the bundling with Windows. We think using the blue "e" might not be such a good idea."
I have some further bad news for you, Mr. Lie. Stripping the icon would only make things worse for browser choice. I'll give you two reasons:
- It's not just the blue e, it's the name people recognize.
- Microsoft's browser is the only one that uses the word "Internet" in it, and that's what laymen know they need to play Chuzzle, watch YouTube, and find free porn.
Their bright red logo might be their biggest draw on the ballot. It's easily the most visible, and some people are bound to click as a result. Strip the logos out, and less knowledgeable users are left thinking "what has Opera got to do with internet?"
At that point, it becomes a battle between IE, Safari (who users may recognize from their iPhones) and Google Chrome (since people think Google is a web browser anyway). Indeed, Opera probably stands to lose the most from such a change.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
D said 9:39AM on 7-28-2009
boycott opera
Reply
@D said 6:02AM on 7-29-2009
Fuck you troll
D said 9:41AM on 7-28-2009
boycott opera
Reply
rells009 said 9:43AM on 7-28-2009
I think Opera shot themselves in the foot with this. If it's anyone bound to make a killing off of this it's Google.
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Arnie said 9:48AM on 7-28-2009
Wow, this guy bitches so much. The funny thing to me is that the only way this guy will ever be satisfied is that they bundle Opera instead of IE along with Windows. I use Firefox almost exclusively because of the extensions but I know I am never going to use Opera... like ever.
Reply
entervazda said 6:08AM on 7-29-2009
Really, sounds like you still haven't used your brain...like ever.
Ashish said 10:05AM on 7-28-2009
I primarily use firefox for the same reason, extensions, but I also use IE, Chrome, Safari and Opera for different reasons. I have SRWare and K-Meleon too, but hardly use them.
In terms of speed, firefox is not great, not too different than IE. FF 3.5 is not great at all. Chrome and Safari are much faster. I like Chrome better than the others, will probably start migrating to it in the future.
Opera is not bad either. In terms of speed, page rendering, innovation - they are great. I like Opera on my mobile, which is where they need to focus. The desktop browser market is too crowded for a standalone player. I know Mozilla is also standalone, but it has been receiving tons of support from Google, both financial and otherwise.
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Jamus said 10:06AM on 7-28-2009
Ok, so how about this for a solution... No graphic logos. Instead users will be presented with a horizontal list of the top four browser families (IE, FF, Safari, and Opera). The order of presentation will be randomly picked as the ballot app starts up. That way no one can complain about being first in the list and keep people from making new browser like a stacked name of "ABrowser" or "ASuperWeb" so their name would always appear first if they went the alphabetical route. Plus it would keep the Pavlovian users from clicking IE as soon as they see it. It might actually possibly make them think just a teeny tiny bit that they have a choice.
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sitruc said 10:06AM on 7-28-2009
I was sure this was going to be a satire piece...
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George said 10:24AM on 7-28-2009
It is Microsoft's OS. They should have be able to bundle whatever their heart desires on THEIR OS - just like the other two major OSes do.
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Quikboy said 10:27AM on 7-28-2009
Opera is a bunch of whiners. Microsoft doesn't need to push themselves any down further than they should have had to. Most users can read, I hope, so they can take a look at other options and maybe they'll pick Opera.
If Opera is as good as they say, then market it or get web users to try it. It's already included in many smartphones, and it's a good mobile browser. But stop whining!
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Ectaco said 10:30AM on 7-28-2009
I love the Opera browser very much, but I really hate that they're doing this. There is no way this could help anyone, it just creates a lot of confusion.
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Rocketboy said 11:11AM on 7-28-2009
As a long time Opera user, this bothers me as well. But what should we expect from a software company that is HQ'd in the land of entitlement?
hmm said 5:10PM on 7-28-2009
It all started with Microsoft targeting Opera. See
http://operawatch.com/news/2005/01/msn-targeting-opera-again.html
and
http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2001/11/01/
Not that I feel Opera is right or justified in this case.
daX said 10:35AM on 7-28-2009
Stop being so melodramatic ds, you're beginning to sound like Slashdot. If Mozilla decides to do the same time you'd approve it so cut the crap.
Reply
Lee Mathews said 11:16AM on 7-28-2009
Did I miss something? Where's the melodrama in this post?
Jash Sayani said 10:36AM on 7-28-2009
I bet the EU cannot ask Apple to do the same with Safari on SnowLeopard :)
Reply
Zachary Waldowski said 10:58AM on 7-28-2009
Apple doesn't use the fact that Safari comes with the OS (which is on *their* hardware ecosystem) to skyrocket its usage. It's just as easy to remove Safari as it is to add or remove another app on the OS; the same applies (if not moreso) for Firefox and friends on Linux.
Jordan said 11:03AM on 7-28-2009
@Zach - How does Apple not use the fact that it comes with the OS to skyrocket it's usage? They send it with their OS so that people will use it...same thing Microsoft does. IE can be removed too. Take your Apple faith elsewhere.
awholeian said 1:23PM on 7-28-2009
@Jordon: Internet Explorer is tied into the OS. Like when you put a url into internet explorer, or as the rendering engine for help files. Safari doesn't do this at all.
Also, anti trust is meant to prevent a company with a monopoly in one area from getting a monopoly in another. Apple doesn't have a monopoly in their OS. Also, they use google as their default search. Search is the key here, since that's where that sweet, sweet internet money is. Nobody pays for their browser. Microsoft wants you to use bing or whatever so they can get ad revenue. They are leveraging the default search of IE to do that. They are using their OS monopoly to keep you using IE.
This is not an Apple issue at all.