On Wed, Apr 07, 2010 at 10:01:36AM -0400, Ryan Pugatch wrote:
> Derek Martin wrote:
> > On Tue, Apr 06, 2010 at 09:15:25PM -0400, Edward Ned Harvey wrote:
> >> You need a browser in order to download another browser.  
> > 
> > This much, at least, is rubbish.  
>
> That whole thing is silly.  MS makes the OS, why can't they package 
> their browser?  

I agree with this, BUT...  The problem is not that they packaged their
brower.  The problem (with Microsoft in general, not just in the
browser case) is they a) don't follow internet standards, b)
intentionally make their software incompatible with standards to
prevent others from creating compatible, competing products, c) often
don't publish what APIs they actually use, and d) do everything in
their power to prevent you from exploring other options (e.g.
anti-competition agreements, etc.).  Microsoft is as anti-consumer as
it gets.  If they fell off the face of the earth, I would not miss
them one bit.

> OS X comes with Safari.. why isn't this an issue?  Both allow you to
> then install whatever browser you want.

I agree with this also to an extent, though Safari complies with open
standards, and Apple is not even close to owning the desktop market.

On Wed, Apr 07, 2010 at 10:00:00AM -0400, Chris O'Connell wrote:
> Derek, that is sort of my idea too... there is not a need for a web browser
> if some sort of menu pops up prompting a user to choose which browser to use
> and allows a one click installation.
> 
> The problem, as I see it, is how does a user know which browser to pick?

That's a good point, but I would argue that if it's TRULY your first
browser (i.e. ever), it doesn't really matter very much.  Choose one
and read about the others, or install all of them and try them out.
Keep the one you like the most.  The reality is, for most "average
Joe" types, browser choice matters not one iota.  Presented with a
choice, I would imagine a majority of Windows users would choose IE
anyway, just because it's a Microsoft product and they know that name.
The point is, at least they would have a choice.

I run Microsoft products solely out of practical necessity; otherwise
I would choose something else (and do, whenever possible, or at least
whenever practical).  If my fresh install of Windows-X gave me a
choice to not install IE, I would exercise it.

-- 
Derek D. Martin    http://www.pizzashack.org/   GPG Key ID: 0xDFBEAD02
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