

Forced by the EU: Microsoft puts its browser selection site live. - jrnkntl
http://www.browserchoice.eu/

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pavlov
Millions of people are going to find out about fringe browsers through this
selection dialog. If I were in charge of such a project, I would have put some
serious effort into improving the icon and copy text the minute this
opportunity was made public.

Right now most of the non-top-5 browsers look like crap or spyware. Avant is
definitely shortlisted for the "ugliest 145*50 banner image of 2010" award.

~~~
chaosprophet
I don't think it's going to make a difference for the fringe browsers. My
reasoning is that I had to scroll to the right to see the remaining options,
and there is no indication that there are more options other than the
scrollbar. I'm pretty sure not too many people are going scroll and see the
remaining options.

~~~
pavlov
This selection dialog is going to be around for a while. Even if only 1 in 20
users does scroll to the right, that should mean millions of viewers over the
coming years... Whatever the exact numbers may be, it eclipses the exposure
that these browsers could get through any other means.

It's a bit like having your iPhone app in the lower part of the Top 20 on the
App Store. It won't be visible on the iTunes front page, but it's still much
more powerful than any other kind of free marketing you could hope to get.

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rauljara
Legally, I don't know how I feel about the EU ruling. Something feels off to
me about forcing a company to offer alternatives to something it is offering
its users for free.

In terms make the internet a better place, the EU ruling is full of win. The
more people that use browsers that actually rely on web standards, the more
people will be forced to build web sites to web standards. If enough sites are
built based on actual standards, Microsoft might actually have to make its own
browser standards compliant. Not to mention the simple fact that more people
will be exposed to Explorer's competitors will force Explorer to actually, you
know, compete.

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nathanwdavis
Next year EU is going to demand that MS put up a site offering competitors to
the packaged Solitaire game.

~~~
rbanffy
No. Because Solitaire is not a platform. What Microsoft is being punished for
is abusing its desktop OS monopoly (which was, BTW, acquired through all sort
of shady backroom deals) to hijack and prevent technological advancements that
could render its clients independent of its desktop software, thus inflating
its profits by artificially reducing competition.

Sorry for the humorless reply, but this is an important subject and it has
been shown, over and over, any misconception about it is abused to portrait
Microsoft in a more favorable light.

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jerhinesmith
Is it just me or is the html for this page _really_ ugly?

Code like this gives me horrible flashbacks to the frontpage days:

    
    
      td id="_description_1"
    

Not to mention a meta tag outside of the html block and class and ID names
that make Hungarian notation look pleasant.

~~~
Roridge
If I was Microsoft I would have made it just as bad.

~~~
axod
It's certainly consistent with their other online properties.

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drtse4
Quite sad, it looks like something from the nineties... Are we sure that this
site has been built microsoft (no reference found)? there is also a
browserchoice.org that is a bit nicer.

~~~
axod

      browserchoice.eu  - Doesn't resolve :/ why not
      www.browserchoice.eu - OK, force me to put www you idiots
      
      > HTTP/1.1 302 Redirect
      > Location: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=178663
    
      OK, lets go visit microsoft.com :/
    
      > HTTP/1.1 302 Found
      > Location: http://www.browserchoice.eu/BrowserChoice/browserchoice_en.htm
    
      Oh so now you want me to go back again. Fine.
    

I'm guessing they wanted to use their existing link tracking stuff on
microsoft.com

~~~
JBiserkov
[http://www.browserchoice.eu/BrowserChoice/browserchoice_en.h...](http://www.browserchoice.eu/BrowserChoice/browserchoice_en.htm)
Welcome to Tautology Club

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wheaties
I totally give Microsoft high-fives for placing their browser above all others
even if, technologically speaking it isn't. I don't see the EU saying anything
to Apple about Safari. I don't see them really addressing the problems with
the whole OS + bundled stuff picture. I, unfortunately, don't have a
worthwhile solution for it either. I guess it's a start, though.

~~~
pmjordan
_I don't see the EU saying anything to Apple about Safari._

The difference, of course, is that it has been established in court that
Microsoft have a monopoly in the desktop OS market, and that they have abused
said monopoly by bundling their browser, media player, etc. with the OS,
giving them an unfair competitive advantage in those markets.

~~~
rbanffy
Not only bundling. You forget all kinds of shady deals that effectively
increased OEM licensing fees if any other browser was to be included.

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billpg
Cool. How do I get my browser on this page?

It's called "billpg is an attention whore browser". It's just a rebranded
firefox with the home page set to billpg.com that can't be changed. All my
easily bribed friends love it!

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misterbwong
As a side note, it's quite interesting how the first 5 browsers tag
themselves-each tag line really reflects the market strategy of the respective
organization:

IE: _Internet Explorer is the world’s most widely used browser, designed by
Microsoft with you in mind._

You're familiar with us-you see us all over the place. You know Microsoft.
You've been using us for a while-why change?

Safari: _Safari for Windows from Apple, the world’s most innovative browser._

We're Apple. We make shiny, cool stuff. Safari's also shiny and cool.

Chrome: _Google Chrome. A fast new browser. Made for everyone._

Simple message just like our home page and everything else we do. It's fast
just like our home page. Made for everyone = easy to use (just like our home
page)

FF: _Your online security is Firefox's top priority. Firefox is free, and made
to help you get the most out of the web._

IE has problems (security holes/spyware/viruses/identity theft-all the things
everyone tells you to be scared of). Download us instead and have less
problems.

Opera: _The powerful and easy-to-use Web browser. Try the only browser with
Opera Turbo technology, and speed up your Internet connection._

We have feature x. Feature x is cool! Come try feature x!

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ZeroGravitas
Nice how IE flashes up in first position for a moment before the
randomisation. Once again Microsoft forces me to ask: evil or incompetent?

~~~
lurkerperpetual
actually all 5 have a fixed position that can be seen for a fraction of a
second right before being reshuffled: IE, FF, OP, GG, SA

~~~
bruceboughton
I'm surprised this isn't a violation of the EU ruling -- I would have thought
the randomisation was mandated for all users (server side).

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kevin_morrill
This is nothing but thuggery by the EU. Microsoft never put a gun to anyone's
head to sell their OS or browser. And if they did they should be taken to
court for that--not antitrust. Sure they made aggressive deals with OEMs, but
OEMs could have walked away anytime and face the consequences with their
customers. At the end of the day, consumers have a choice what they buy. That
choice does not include imaginary products suppliers don't want to deliver
whether rationally or not (e.g. an OS without a browser, an iPhone with Flash,
etc.).

Antitrust is insulting to peoples' intelligence. It puts politicians (and the
private parties that lobby and manipulate them) in charge of the marketplace.

Vote me down, flame and pillory me all you want. But get ready when your
private property is the next to be deemed too socially important for you to
fully own anymore. You'll deserve it when it happens.

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gchucky
Can someone clarify how this actually shows up to the end-user? When a user
gets a new computer and first turns it on, does this show up in a standalone
program, within IE, or some other way?

~~~
JBiserkov
Via Windows Update

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evlapix
Random placement to avoid "from memory" selection.. Nice.

Or maybe just another way to confuse the hell out of web users.

~~~
javery
Not totally random as the first 5 seem to stay in the top 5.

~~~
axod

      >> aBrowserOrderTop5.sort(RandomSort);
      >> aBrowserOrderRest.sort(RandomSort);

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huherto
Why is this hosted by Microsoft? (e.g. the links go to go.microsoft.com)

~~~
huherto
ok, I see that Microsoft uses this to track the links people are clicking.
But, still why is this hosted by Microsoft. I would expect it to be a EU site.

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Roridge
this whole site is EU law gone mad.

