Google is fearing IE7

Google have a point however... If Microsoft push IE7 down automatic update then Microsoft has added a free MSN advert to every desktop... And how many people do you think are going to try and switch to Google? ... Not a lot of the non-geeks.

Microsoft are a convicted monopoly, Mozilla/Firefox are not. They own 10% of the browser market... Thus they can do whatever they want. This case is NOT about IE7 advertising MSN, it is about using Windows to boost IE7 which in turn is advertising MSN. Thus Microsoft are abusing their monopoly position to boost their web business which is illegal in the US and EU.

Actually, on XP IE7 does not use MSN Search by default. It uses whatever was the default search provider in IE6. Which is still MSN Search on most systems, but it does mean they're not adding an MSN advert to the system, they're simply making it more accessible.

Sven Groot wrote:

 Actually, on XP IE7 does not use MSN Search by default. It uses whatever was the default search provider in IE6. Which is still MSN Search on most systems, but it does mean they're not adding an MSN advert to the system, they're simply making it more accessible.

What about on the new systems that will ship with Vista? I wonder what those will have as a default...? I sense MSN will be the default by reading this part of the article:

NY Times wrote:

Microsoft replies that Google is misreading its intentions and actions. It says the default settings in the browser, Internet Explorer 7, are easy to change. And it says the product was designed with consumers and many partners in mind — even though it might not be to the liking of Google, the leading search engine.

No offense to anyone, but when is Microsoft going to grow up about this? Don't make MSN the default, and stay out of legal trouble. Many users don't even know how to change the default settings anyway and use whatever was installed on their machine (at work, for instance).

Cornelius Ellsonpeter wrote:

 What about on the new systems that will ship with Vista?

That's down to OEMs to choose.

Cornelius Ellsonpeter wrote:

Don't make MSN the default, and stay out of legal trouble.

Who do you propose is used instead?

AndyC wrote:

Cornelius Ellsonpeter wrote: What about on the new systems that will ship with Vista?

That's down to OEMs to choose.

Let the bidding begin

AndyC wrote:

Cornelius Ellsonpeter wrote: Don't make MSN the default, and stay out of legal trouble.

Who do you propose is used instead?

Anything but MSN would be fine, from a moral point of view... "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion" and all that.

Alas, business is anything but moral.

AndyC wrote:



Cornelius Ellsonpeter wrote: Don't make MSN the default, and stay out of legal trouble.

Who do you propose is used instead?

The IE7 Final setup could have a radiobuttonlist in which you choose a default search engine, and won't continue unless you select one...and NOT have a recommended item like:

() MSN Search (Recommended)

AndyC wrote:



Cornelius Ellsonpeter wrote: Don't make MSN the default, and stay out of legal trouble.

Who do you propose is used instead?

AOL - Oh wait that's powered by Google
Alexa - Oh wait that's powered by Windows Live Search
Yahoo!? - They seem like the ONLY midpoint.

Harlequin wrote:


The IE7 Final setup could have a radiobuttonlist in which you choose a default search engine, and won't continue unless you select one...and NOT have a recommended item like:

And how do you decide who goes in that list?

The reason why google are running scared is that IE7 is whipping FF so badly and they have left faith in the Linux kernel too... Microsoft, though Vista are going to bankrupt Google in one swoop.

If only Open Source was able to produce commercial grade software... Oh well... I guess that's another failed model in software development.

Harlequin wrote:

 The IE7 Final setup could have a radiobuttonlist in which you choose a default search engine

And who decides who goes on that list?

blatzcoder wrote:

 In fact, I would argue that the Express products are more or less available so that you are forced to buy Visual Studio anyway. Can you even make any software with the Express versions and sell it on your own?

Yes you can. Kinda scrubs that theory doesn't it?

blatzcoder wrote:



blowdart wrote:  You're wrong. Would it have been too hard to actually check out the license first before you started FUDing? Why it's even addressed in the FAQ, in nice, non legal terms.

Okay. Thanks for pointing that out that you can "sell your creation", but I am going to assume they only did this to kill off SharpDevelop, which is an open source project. I really don't believe it was out of the goodness of Microsoft's heart. SharpDevelop is rapidly approaching Visual Studio's abilities, and is likely perceived as a threat.

Ah, so everyone but Microsoft is allowed to compete in the market.  Microsoft is just expected to sit idly by and release crap that no one would buy or use, just so that their competitors can become successful.  Yeah, everyone knows that's how capitalism works...

@#$%! Double post...