Firefox boss attacks Microsoft over the default browser settings in Windows 10

[Arty]

http://www.zdnet.com/article/firefox-boss-attacks-microsoft-over-the-default-browser-settings-in-windows-10/

 

Chris Beard, Mozilla's CEO, has posted an "open letter to Microsoft's CEO" about the way that Windows 10 handles default programs. He is complaining about "the Windows 10 upgrade experience that strips users of their choice" because Microsoft's Edge browser becomes the default after an "in place" upgrade.

 

he letter includes a lightly veiled threat of anti-trust action in Beard's claim that "we are deeply disappointed to see Microsoft take such a dramatic step backwards." Microsoft has emerged from a decade of close US judicial supervision that followed its defeat in a major anti-trust trial prompted mainly by Netscape, Mozilla's predecessor. The US action was followed by a European case that resulted on a "browser ballot" being imposed, to force users to choose.

more info

 

What sounds like a Microsoft attack on Firefox actually applies to all default programs. Microsoft says it did this to prevent users from suffering blizzards of prompts to change defaults, and to make traditional programs work in the same was as Windows Store apps. Microsoft claims that Windows Store apps, which are locked down and sandboxed, "could not invoke this prompt".

 

In the bad old days, Windows users suffered from "default wars" where programs tried to get themselves set as the default, and not all were beyond deception. Is it Beard, rather than Microsoft, "who wants to take a dramatic step backwards"?

 

In its May 20 blog post, Microsoft said: "We know your defaults matter to you. With Windows 10, all apps - both Classic Windows apps and Universal Windows apps - will be unable to invoke a prompt to change your defaults, only Windows. You remain in full control of your default experiences, while reducing some of the unwanted noise that multiple prompts can bring."

 

Beard's exaggerated complaint was parodied on Hacker News because of the Firefox update that changed users' default search engine. Animats wrote: "I am writing to you about a very disturbing aspect of Firefox 38.0.5. Specifically, that the update experience appears to have been designed to throw away the choice your customers have made about the Internet experience they want, and replace it with the Internet experience Mozilla wants them to have."

 

And later: "Sometimes we see great progress, where consumer products respect individuals and their choices. However, with the launch of Firefox 38.0.5 we are deeply disappointed to see Mozilla take such a dramatic step backwards."

 

Firefox forced a search engine switch to Yahoo, and after users reinstated their preference for (usually) Google, Firefox updates repeatedly changed it back.

 

This was, in fact, due to a bug, for which Mozilla apologized. However, it may still look like hypocrisy. As user byuu commented: "Yeah, this is the most 'pot calling the kettle black' article I've seen all month." He listed other complaints against Mozilla, including "no opt-out for Australis" and the bundling of Pocket and DRM web extensions.

 

Whether Beard is, in fact, right or wrong about the merits of the default settings, he does know that they also apply to Google and to many other companies who have so far refrained from writing whiny open letters about it.

 

TL:DR

 

Firefox upset at MS for defaults

MS says they will fix.

 

 

 

you don't see google being all but hurt, (yet), they know whos loyal will stay.

 

personally  i don't like edge, but thats not the point here.

 

 

and people who complain about defaults being changed, it ask last night during install, would you like to change defaults yes or no. (yes to ms ones, no to keep) ihit no, obs, if you hit yes without reading, thats your problem.

[AlexGoesHigh]

google is butthurt, posted less that an hour ago, otherwise why would they make this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsDWb0WpF4w

[Snickerzz]

Meh, FF is just mad they wont profit off the elders who wont change their default browser

[Derangel]

Really? What a ridiculous thing to bitch about. As soon as I opened Chrome after upgrading it asked if I wanted to use it as default. Click yes, opens up a settings screen, then you click on Edge and it will give you a list of other browsers to set as default.

[Arty]

google is butthurt, posted less that an hour ago, otherwise why would they make this

 

lol, yea just saw that.

i guess thats there indirect way of calling People dumb.

[RH00D]

I think Mozilla is just butthurt that their browser share has been tanking severely the past few years.

 

Which is a shame since its the only  browser with awesome extension support that doesn't mine the shit out of your data (Google Chrome).

 

But maybe that will change once Edge gets extension support. I plan to make Edge my primary browser once it gets support for LastPass.

[Arty]

I think Mozilla is just butthurt that their browser share has been tanking severely the past few years.

 

Which is a shame since its the only  browser with awesome extension support that doesn't mine the shit out of your data (Google Chrome).

 

But maybe that will change once Edge gets extension support.

only way edge is winning me over is, if it comes on andriod and ios

 

bookmark sync, and OPEN TAB sync, i use that so much in chrome.

open a website on my pc, click chrome on my ipod (click pc tabs) and the tab is there waiting.

[Derangel]

only way edge is winning me over is, if it comes on andriod and ios

 

bookmark sync, and OPEN TAB sync, i use that so much in chrome.

 

Same. The ability to sync stuff between devices and even Windows installs is great.

[Solkia]

 

I think Mozilla is just butthurt that their browser share has been tanking severely the past few years.

 

Which is a shame since its the only  browser with awesome extension support that doesn't mine the shit out of your data (Google Chrome).

 

But maybe that will change once Edge gets extension support. I plan to make Edge my primary browser once it gets support for LastPass.

 

???

[Mug]

Ehh, I use Internet explorer still

 

I realised Edge was shit after I can't quote or edit on this forum.

[RH00D]

???

 

 

What are you confused about?

[Murdoch]

Are we going to have another one of these situations where the EU decides to force MS to implement a choice of browsers?

 

On a different note, a lot of what Microsoft are doing is the old, just one more step approach. The more obstacles you put in people's way, the less likely they are to do something. And there has been a slight adjustment here, you have to set browser as default, and then chose Firefox from a list, previously, that second step wasn't required. And I seriously bet, that little action alone will cause at least a tiny percentage of people to stick with Edge. Haha.

 

A better example of this behaviour, would be when you used to have to phone them up to cancel your Xbox Live membership, what a dick move that was.

[Nowak]

Really? What a ridiculous thing to bitch about. As soon as I opened Chrome after upgrading it asked if I wanted to use it as default. Click yes, opens up a settings screen, then you click on Edge and it will give you a list of other browsers to set as default.

I set Chrome as my default browser before I even got to the desktop, goml.

[TheAmazingCookieFromSquare]

Poor Google as @AlexGoesHigh said

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsDWb0WpF4w

[Inkz]

Am I the only one upset that the edge logo still looks like IE? I thought the point of having edge was to give them a clean slate.

[Solkia]

What are you confused about?

 

what data is it mining

 

I have all these things like scriptsafe and blur installed because I'm paranoid

[Nowak]

Am I the only one upset that the edge logo still looks like IE? I thought the point of having edge was to give them a clean slate.

It's meant to be, because most people know the internet as that big E.

[qwertywarrior]

Windows 7 RC1 is more stable than this buggy os

what the hell microsoft

[Derangel]

Windows 7 RC1 is more stable than this buggy os

what the hell microsoft

 

Did you update because it popped up and told you to or did you force it?

[Arty]

Did you update because it popped up and told you to or did you force it?

#1 problem right here lol

[Misanthrope]

Let's not forget Microsoft already lost a pretty damn significant legal case because of IE in the past and this looks no different than back then meaning they're potentially walking into a dangerous precedent the European Union will not look kindly upon if or when they are taken to court again.

[Swndlr]

I dont see the big deal here, it literally takes like 10 clicks to get rid of Edge for good and never have to use any of MS's shitty Bing incorporated browsers ever again.

[Bsmith]

I dont see the big deal here, it literally takes like 10 clicks to get rid of Edge for good and never have to use any of MS's shitty Bing incorporated browsers ever again.

If they did it like win7 and IE then that wont be possible, the OS is set to automatically download/Install IE if you delete it together with the beloved bing bar, that shit keeps coming back.

[Swndlr]

If they did it like win7 and IE then that wont be possible, the OS is set to automatically download/Install IE if you delete it together with the beloved bing bar, that shit keeps coming back.

But no one said you have to use it, just act as if its not there.

[Colonel_Gerdauf]

Open Firefox, set to default browser (either by prompt or browser settings), and problem solved.

The amount of half-brained alarmists going on a hasty witch hunt against Microsoft and Windows 10 is just plain annoying at this point.