Every person who owns a computer with Microsoft Windows is to be offered their choice of internet browsers in an automatic pop-up menu following an agreement today between the software company and the European Union.
In March next year all PCs will be sent a software update that will cause a window to appear on screen offering them options to the pre-installed Microsoft Explorer.
Under the terms of the deal, Microsoft will give users a choice of up to 12 other web browsers when they are using computers running on Windows, the operating system which runs the vast majority of the world’s computers.
Computer manufacturers will also be able to produce PCs without Internet Explorer in Europe.
The ballot screen will list the 12 most popular Web browsers running on Windows, with five featured prominently. Users will be able to choose Apple's Safari, Google’s Chrome, Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mozilla's Firefox, Opera, AOL, Maxthon,
K-Meleon, Flock, Avant Browser, Sleipnir and Slim Browser.
For details see:
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6958942.ece