Opera News

It is a great time for PC users! After a considerable time, the European Commission and Microsoft have finally come to an agreement that will give Web surfers a proper choice of how they can experience the web. After March 17th 2010 European users of Windows whose default browser is Internet Explorer will be able to receive a Windows Update that shows a Choice Screen (sometimes known as a Ballot Screen) presenting the top 5 Web browsers along with links to install the browsers and to get more information about them.

This new avenue for consumer choice is a result of the European Commission's antitrust case against Microsoft in regards to a violation of Article 82 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. In the case, it was alleged that Microsoft was exploiting a dominant position in the operating system market to increase their share in the web browser market in a way that is not based on the real merits of the product.

Although some may consider the implications of this browser Choice Screen to be trivial, the unfortunate truth is that a very large segment of PC users out there simply are not aware that they have a choice in regards to what web browsers they can use. Even if they are aware that several browsers exist, they have little understanding of the differences are between competing browsers, or the benefits each may have over others. The vast majority of consumers are using one of the most critical pieces of software simply because that is what their operating system vendor includes, which has resulted in a massive bias in browser use. Microsoft has also made it extremely impractical for PC manufacturers to include competing browsers.

In the past, because of a large dominance of Internet Explorer, and because IE was not very standards compliant, this would lead Web developers to create sites that were optimized for IE, and that used browser-specific methods of implementing Web sites. If someone chose to use a different browser because it worked better for them, and it met their requirements better, it was not uncommon to have issues with Web pages appearing or functioning incorrectly. Modern Web sites are becoming ever more complex and sophisticated, and with our lives being increasingly dependent on the Web, it is also increasingly important that the functionality of Web sites remains consistent across platforms and browsers.

In 2007 Opera Software filed an antitrust complaint with the EU that Microsoft had illegally tied IE to Windows and that there is ongoing competitive harm from Microsoft's practices. Particularly in regards to new proprietary technologies that would reduce compatibility with open Internet standards and hinder competition. In February 2009, Mozilla, and then Google joined in to support the proceedings. The EU has many mechanisms to ensure that anti-competitive practices are kept in check so that businesses generally act in the best interest of the consumer. When the European Commission investigated the issue with Microsoft and Internet Explorer, it determined that Microsoft would be required to give users a fair and unbiased choice of which Web browser they would like to use.

In response, Microsoft attempted to create a unique version of Windows 7 - "Windows 7 E" that did not include Internet Explorer at all, but based on past such experiences with Windows Media Player it was obvious that this would not provide a solution adequate to address the concerns of the European Commission, so as it turns out there will be no "E" version of Windows 7, and instead, users of Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 will all be able to receive the same Browser Choice Screen Windows update.

Most should view the Choice Screen as great progress towards encouraging innovation in technology and the evolution of the Web. It will help to level the playing field for all browsers and will make it easy for users to select and install the browser of their choice. Also, because this Choice Screen will help to spread awareness of other browsers, it should ultimately make the use of the Web a better experience, regardless of which browser one uses.

In addition to now allowing a choice of browser, Microsoft will be required to allow PC manufacturers to bundle competing Web browsers with Windows. Microsoft now also must be more open with information regarding interoperability for their browser such that it is possible for competitors to allow their Web browsers to work well with certain Web applications where before it was nearly impossible to use a full degree of functionality without Internet Explorer.

The culmination of the investigation and the European Commission decision should be a great boon to consumer choice on the web, and the progression of standards and technology on the web that will greatly benefit developers, manufacturers and of course users of Internet technology -- a significant portion of the human population that is increasing at a rapid pace. When there is a step ahead in technology or society, it piques curiosity about what the next steps will be. Will this have a positive impact on the web? How might other types of software or other manufacturers be affected by decisions like this in the future?

We would like to hear what others might have to think about the points brought up in this article, and what people from the community here think the impact might be. We are eager to read your comments.