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Windows 7 and Internet Explorer

Tuesday, 10. March 2009, 14:00:20

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I am reading that in the next version of Windows Internet Explorer could be turned off as system component. It is presented in the news as a move from Microsoft to work around the well known EU investigation about IE dominating the browser market because of its "unfair" integration in Windows. I don't understand what the option of turning IE off could change since Windows will still be shipped with IE as part of the system. You aren't forced to use IE even now, people can use Opera or Firefox. But they must know those other browsers exist, they must understand the advantages and decide to give them a chance, download, install and finally get used to them. I know many people who don't care of technicalities and don't even know what a browser is. I don't see any of them going in Windows control panel and disable IE, also because this would not give them any advantage. I would not do that either, despite I never use IE besides Windows Update and the few Web sites that work only with it.

You Can't Get What You WantPictures in the church

Comments

Shaunak De 11. March 2009, 03:58

Can you still remove IE from the add/remove software panel?

PS: You header image is amazing. \o/

Lorenzo Celsi 11. March 2009, 07:56

I've seen a "preview" of Windows 7 and there was a list of system components you can select or de-select. I am not sure if the de-select uninstalls the component or simply disable it (meaning some or all is not loaded at boot). Either way I would not de-select IE. Why should I?

P.S. the image above is not mine, it was taken from the Web.

starree 12. March 2009, 03:06

As far as I've seen you cannot remove IE from XP. I have not tried with Vista. I think Microsoft is only doing it to look good (for who is the question?) and to make users think they are giving them more control when to anyone with any technical skills this will be obvious they are just doing it for some political reason. Who knows, maybe they are avoiding some monopoly law by doing it *shrug*

Lorenzo Celsi 12. March 2009, 07:52

My point is that I do not see any difference if Windows is shipped with IE and then you can disable or remove it. I do not see any reason why the user should disable or remove IE from Windows actually.

The same goes for the whole Windows OS, if I buy a computer with a Windows OEM license, I would not have any reason to remove it from the computer. In case I want another OS I just install it over a different partition.

Like I said elsewhere, the only move that could make sense would to forbid the hardware vendors to ship computers with pre-installed software and/or OEM licenses.

Edit: I've read that some VIP at Opera said they waant Windows to give the user the option what browser to install during the first run. In short Windows should ask "do you want to install IE or Opera?" I think this is a little out of reality, besides practical issues, like asking Ford to sell cars asking the customers if they want a Toyota engine on board instead of their own. What company would propose its customers to use products from the competitors?

Anne 12. March 2009, 16:41

:lol: you really made a point with the car comparison. I also think that Opera won't be _that_ successful.

starree 13. March 2009, 03:04

I agree with you Lorenzo, it is definitely unrealistic for any browser to expect it but then I see their point in that they made IE after the fact of the OS but it was so long ago does it matter? I guess it's a war that will be going on for awhile. :cool:

Lorenzo Celsi 13. March 2009, 08:44

I do believe you can't tell MS what to put in their products. If they want to add a browser to their OS, they should be allowed to do that. Like Ford can add an air conditioner to some car model they sell.

Why Opera, Mozilla etc complain of MS unfair tactics? Because they want to get their products in the Windows environment. And why that is so important? Because 99% PCs are sold with Windows pre-installed. It is not the browser market that suffers from MS monopoly, it is the whole software market.

In the above example, it is like Ford (Microsoft) was the only vendor for cars. You produce air conditioner (the browser), so obviously you are cut off when Ford installs its own air conditioner (IE) on its cars.
If there are other car vendors, maybe you have difficulties in having your air conditioner over Ford cars but you have other opportunities with Toyota, Honda, etc.

What we need is to unlock the PC=Windows situation.

Suntana 17. March 2009, 20:06

If Microsoft IS trying to just put on a facade, a show ... an act to make themselves look good and cut off a couple of notches off the allegations of monopoly, they COULD go one step further. Instead of just supposedly having the ability to disable IE, have IE NOT be installed yet on all the computers on which it is shipped. In other words, only the IE Install Setup File would be there on the Desktop ... NOT the ready to use IE Icon. True, IE would still be there too close for comfort, but it would be a little step in the right direction if they REALLY want to neutralize the accusations that IE has an unfair advantage upon a new computer being unboxed and powered up.

Lorenzo Celsi 17. March 2009, 20:15

Honestly I find all this stuff pretty ridiculous. Lets say tomorrow I make a text editor. So my next step is to ask MS to do not install Notepad and/or Wordpad. I make a personal firewall, then I want MS to remove Windows firewall... Going this downhill I wonder what MS is allowed to install. At that point, MS could ask the Linux distros to not install anything but the kernel.

Suntana 17. March 2009, 22:31

You do have a point. But, still, there's just something about the way Microsoft does things that just smacks of monopoly. And as they say, when there is a monopoly, it impedes progress.

Lorenzo Celsi 18. March 2009, 07:04

The monopoly can't be unlocked by removing single components from Windows. IMHO it is quite obvious that the monopoly roots in the OEM license.

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