Filed under: News, Microsoft, Browsers
EU approves Microsoft's browser ballot screen for 5-year stint
According to Nelie Kroes, European Commissioner for Competition Policy, the ballot screen will include the twelve most popular browsers in the EU. To make the cut, a browser must be among the top dozen in usage share in the EU territory.
Kroes' spoke favorably of Microsoft's efforts:
The Commission's preliminary view is that Microsoft's commitments would indeed address our competition concerns.
Microsoft's proposal in particular recognises the principle that consumers should be given a free and effective choice of web browser. It would empower all current and future users of Windows in Europe to choose which browser they wished to use. It would therefore have a direct and immediate impact on the market.
Does this mean we won't be hearing any more about this issue? Likely not. First and foremost, the deployment is being considered "market testing" at this point. On top of that, not much has changed since Opera first complained about the ballot screen and the install process also isn't as simple as Mozilla wanted it to be.
The approved screen will include "more information" buttons for each browser and download links, but that seems to have been enough to satisfy the EU. Microsoft has indeed enabled users to make a choice - figuring out how to get another browser completely installed is going to be up to the end user.
At least for now. The EU has included a review clause so the commission can ensure the ballot screen is "working properly" over the next five years.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SilverWave said 1:08PM on 10-07-2009
EU-MS Deal - Looks pretty good at first blush.
The only things missing from my wish list are:
Its only 5 years... 10 would be more in line with the length of the abuse.
The other top 5 are not installed by default... this means that IE still has a
privileged position.
It looks as if the ballot is still presented by IE... which gives the _wrong_
message.
Still this is about 90% of what I asked for.
Oh an I _trust_ MS as well - I trust MS to be MS.
Reply
SilverWave said 1:21PM on 10-07-2009
I think your point here is incorrect:
--------------------------------------------------------- "Microsoft has indeed enabled users to make a choice - figuring out how to get another browser completely installed is going to be up to the end user."
---------------------------------------------------------
If you look at what MS has said today then point 1 " Ensure that competing browsers can be downloaded from the ballot screen more quickly and easily." should do the trick.
Here are the details:
Microsoft agreed with the Commission to make approximately 20 substantive changes to our proposals, including changes to:
* Ensure that competing browsers can be downloaded from the ballot screen more quickly and easily.
* Ensure equivalent placement on the Windows 7 taskbar for Internet Explorer and all other browser icons.
* Improve the usability of the browser ballot by adding introductory information, improving the design of the ballot page, and adding a feature to enable users to return more easily to it at a later time if they wish.
* Adjust the placement of the browser choices on the ballot screen so that Internet Explorer is no longer listed first. Instead, the five most popular browsers will be listed in alphabetical order by vendor, followed by the next seven most popular (also alphabetical), so that 12 choices are displayed in total.
* Adopt suggestions from competitors to strengthen Microsoft’s obligations to publish documentation about the company’s interoperability technology.
* Address security software vendor feedback by ensuring disclosure of certain programming interfaces accessed by Microsoft’s own security products.
* Steve Ballmer will wear a pink tutu with the words "EU's Biatch" to the next dev conference.**
(not necessarily, literally true).
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tingrin87 said 3:37AM on 10-08-2009
12 browsers?
i don't think i could name 12 browsers. (i have 4 of the 5 listed installed)
Reply
James said 11:57PM on 10-08-2009
The EU can eat a giant, giant dick.
That is all.
Reply