Opera alerts EU to hidden Windows browser-ballot

The whole "default browser in Windows" whining is old and unnecessary. In my opinion, Microsoft should be allowed to default whatever browser they want.

Is Apple going to be forced to not default Safari? Is Ubuntu going to be slapped upside the head for defaulting to Firefox? How about KDE-based distros defaulting to Konqueror?

Apple and Ubuntu are not forcing their default browser down your throat and do not actively discourage you from using other browsers.

And why harp on the browser thing so much? There's a bajillion (metric) other things that Microsoft are guilty of and very openly so, yet people have been fixated on this browser thing since the late 90's

jacog --

Yup. Especially silly when you consider that Microsoft no longer has a browser monopoly as they did in the bad old days when the Mozilla team abandoned users and let Microsoft take 90+% of the share.

And, ya know what?

They've got this newfangled thing called the internet. Once people find out about that, i'll bet they discover these web site thingies and even learn how to download stuff to their computers. Who knows -- they might even hear about Firefox from a friend, or Opera, or Chrome from Google.

Big trucking whoop.

I disagree: what's sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander. Microsoft has used legalistic tactics for years: the weird contracts with OEMs and stuff.

It's funny to see the whole legal system used against Microsoft, although the Hobbesian in me regrets that it's not all done via the free market.

jacog, I disagree, I think Apple should be questioned too. I can think of no better example than iPhone and the suing of HTC. You notice that I can install multiple browsers to WinMo and Android. As well as Mac and Psystar example. In fact, Apple wanted to assert authorities to HTML5 standards as well. I don't see Microsft pushing for WMV to be default HTML5 video.

This particular Opera complaint is nitpicking I agree. I don't mean for ballots, but to open up there OSes. I think Apple is worse with this forcing down your throat, they aren't the only one, but people tolerate Apple because it looks pretty.

It's a euphamistic concept that other companies picked up, like Microsoft with the WindowsPhone7, but their design team tends to miss the spot. Maybe Canonical as well with the recent Ubuntu, but I don't see them as an oppressing regime.