You can't please all of the people all of the time
To address the EU’s concerns about Microsoft’s bundling Internet Explorer in Windows, Microsoft is providing a “browser ballot” (http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/44421). This became available March 1, when European users of IE began seeing popup screens asking them if they wanted to try a different browser.
Choices include Apple’s Safari, Google’s Chrome, Mozilla’s Firefox and Opera – and that’s the first page. Twelve browsers are listed in total. Lesser-known browsers (all new to me) include Avant, Maxthon, Slim, Green Browser, Sleipnir, Flock, and K-Meleon. What went into the decision to include those seven browsers we’ll never know for sure, although one developer appears to be accusing Microsoft of less than honorable intentions – as four of them use the same Trident rendering engine as IE (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8545237.stm for more information).
Microsoft no longer has the 90+% of market share with IE that it did earlier, because it hasn’t been able to stay ahead of the technology to the extent of some of its competitors. That’s really what market share is about, not what you include in a bundle (or Windows operating system). Was the ballot really necesary?
Users will get what they consider to be a better product. And anyone who can google can find another browser to download, whether or not its name appears in a menu. In spite of that, some people will never be happy. Consider this just another example that trying to please everyone all of the time tends to be an exercise in futility.
