IE Violates Antitrust with the EU

**Sirlaughalot** · 01-19-2009 03:01 PM

Opera complained about IE, and now the EU apparently thinks that Windows shouldn't ship with a web browser. (I'm sure the fact that Opera, which made the complaint, is a EU company had nothing to do with their decision...)

EU says IE violates antitrust | ZDNet Government | ZDNet.com

Let's see how this would work with a brand new computer: you go to the Opera or Firefox website and download...OH WAIT. YOU CAN'T BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE A FREAKING WEB BROWSER.

This is a terrible idea. Companies like HP and Dell would end up pre-installing browsers and making sure they're loaded with bloatware addons and limited time offers. Now we gotta trust that the user is smart enough to uninstall the crap.

Hehe, Microsoft should just not sell to Europe if they complain...OR let's ship windows with every browser available and then the user can uninstall whichever they don't want or even keep all of them for maximum internet browsing capabilities!

But seriously...come on...it's a package deal that we've seen for years: Microsoft Windows=IE and Windows media player...next thing we'll see is that it can't ship with Notepad because program like open office don't get shipped with windows.

**Redeemer** · 01-20-2009 03:18 PM

It's not the first time this has been brought up. To be honest I hate IE and wouldn't mind seeing it removed from default installations. Although IE is pretty much core to Windows (at least XP, I don't know how much so it is for Vista or the Windows 7).

Also you wouldn't have to use a browser to download it, they could just put a application on the computer to download it.

You are right though, if they did pre-install other browsers computer manufacturers will put some additional crap on it that you don't want. I think they should make a version of windows with FF instead of IE, but no version with Opera... if they are going to be a pain in the ass and sue because people don't want to use their browser... I don't want to see it on my computer.

**elgms** · 06-16-2009 08:08 AM

if the operating system does not have a web browser, who are people supposed to get on the internet?

AND, what about windows explorer, its a built in web browser. Most people do not know that windows explorer even exist. Right click on my computer, go to "Explore" - and there ya go, its also a web browser.

**Redeemer** · 06-16-2009 02:59 PM

Well if they had an autodownloader for different browsers loaded onto the OS by default (Similar to Blizzard does for downloading trailers/other game videos). Also if there is a ftp address to download the browser (firefox offers it, I don't know about others), you can download it using command prompt.

**African** · 06-18-2009 04:03 AM

This situation is a ludicrous and humiliating failure to human intelligence. What Opera and everybody who else supports it seems to be missing is that Windows is Microsoft's OS. They pay for the development and support. They have every moral right to add whatever they want to their creation. If Mozilla and Opera have a problem with that they're free to develop their own OS. I actually read a post in which the user wrote something like this: It's like telling Pepsi they can't add sugar to their products because it gives them an advantage over their competition. I'm not a fan of Internet Explorer, but it's complete rubbish when people complain about fair business.

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