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rb2d2 · Sep 25, 2004

Microsoft to let PC users turn off IE Web browser

SEATTLE (AP) — A single check box deep in the guts of the next version of Windows is giving Microsoft Corp. watchers a peek at how the software maker plans to keep European antitrust regulators from marring a crucial software launch.

Windows 7, the successor to the much-maligned Vista, isn't expected to reach consumers until next year, but more than a million people are already testing early versions. A pair of bloggers tinkering with settings stumbled upon one they hadn't seen before: The ability to "turn off" Microsoft's own Internet Explorer browser.

Windows 7 is sounding more and more interesting all the time.

occasion9

Nightrider · Sep 25, 2004

M$ is only "getting it" because they end up spending so much time and resources in court all the time. M$ is not doing this because it wants to. You still will be forced to use IE to get your Windows Updates, so M$ really hasn't gotten anything yet...

munky2

Katy · Sep 28, 2004

NR, if its there software why shouldn't you have to go by their rules to update... Other companies are free to introdce their own programs and updates. And you can always use another system besides windows....I have for the most part been satisfied with windows and look forward to the new release...

Nightrider · Sep 25, 2004

The reason why this is bad is because M$ is still linking its browser to its operating system. They are both separate but M$ has always bundled them together to make sure that their's was the dominant browser. That's what all of these lawsuits are about. It is anti-competitive and M$ has lost every single court case...

It is not difficult to make your site work well with most browsers. It is more difficult to try to find ways to make your site not work with alternative browsers. That is exactly what M$ has done intentionally. You should not have to turn on and use IE just to get updates to your OS, media player, or office application. These are all unrelated applications that should not require IE to get their updates. M$ is still doing the same things that they keep getting in trouble for...

M$ built an environment that allows software manufacturers to build on it with their own code. Then when M$ decides that they want to compete with those apps, it doesn't play fair and usually succeeds in killing their competition. That's why M$ is continually in trouble. Forcing people to use IE is more of the same. They are trying to kill their competition. Eventually M$ will be forced to make it's Update Site compatible with most other browsers too. That day is coming and it will probably have to be forced on them through court since M$ doesn't seem to be willing to learn from any of its previous court losses...

munky2