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Microsoft's Turn-off mode in IE8 not enough, says Opera.

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app103:
I do agree that IE shouldn't be so deeply integrated into the OS, and it should be completely removable, but the idea of requiring Microsoft to get rid of it entirely is just crazy and not well thought out.
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Considering what "IE" is, uprooting it is a bad idea. The libraries it offers are useful. Apart from that, I don't find IE (the browser part) to be very tightly integrated in the operating system, except for Windows Update. Sure, there's a few apps that launch IE instead of your primary browser, but that's not IE's fault. There's also apps that launch explorer.exe instead of the shell handler for Folder/Directory - FireFox, for instance.
-f0dder (March 11, 2009, 06:56 PM)
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Here are some signs that point to the fact that it is:

Explorer:

Microsoft's Turn-off mode in IE8 not enough, says Opera.
And you can even load web pages in it, unless you have set some non-IE based browser as your default.

IE:
Microsoft's Turn-off mode in IE8 not enough, says Opera.

Then there is the nice IE integration with the desktop, too....complete with capabilities supplied by Adobe's flash plugin for IE.
Microsoft's Turn-off mode in IE8 not enough, says Opera.

Have you ever seen an IE javascript error message on your desktop after an Explorer crash, when clicking that button that is supposed to restore your desktop? I have, on many occasions.

Have you ever seen an alert from a firewall that the Windows Recycle Bin wants to connect to the internet, when trying to empty it, because of some rogue IE BHO "search helper" on the system? I have.

To me, these are all signs that IE is a bit too deeply rooted in the OS.

J-Mac:
And then the standards question, if we are talking actual STANDARDS then yes I agree. If we are talking passing the ACID# test, then I disagree. The acid test, while good in a test environment, is not valid for every day in the wild browsing.
-Josh (March 10, 2009, 06:17 PM)
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IE8 was actually TOO standards compliant in its early beta versions, believe it or not. See this article by Joel Spolsky. (I know some here don't like Joel but this article is a classic!).

But they fail to consider this:

If Microsoft didn't include a browser with their OS, then what would you use to visit a site and download your browser of choice?
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I dunno...  But I do know that I had no problem getting my hands on Netscape Navigator back before IE was there.  8)  (I probably used my Apple II!! Or maybe my Mosaic or Lynx browser. Or maybe I just used one of the 346,000,000 "Free Disks" I received from just about everywhere!)

I haven't read enough about Microsoft's decision to determine if this actually removes all the interface between Windows and IE or if it just removes the ability of IE to open as a browser. Completely removing all of IE's ties to the OS would be a massive undertaking, "new" OS version or not. Be interesting to see just what they actually did.

Jim

nosh:
What about Opera Mini forcing Yahoo as the default/only search engine until recently? Almost everything Apple comes out with is locked in/tied down - their latest Shuffle confines you to using their own headphones. Sure, you don't have to buy it but doesn't the same thing apply to Windows? Opera's attitude stinks of desperation and double standards.

fenixproductions:
2nosh
What about Opera Mini forcing Yahoo as the default/only search engine until recently? Almost everything Apple comes out with is locked in/tied down - their latest Shuffle confines you to using their own headphones. Sure, you don't have to buy it but doesn't the same thing apply to Windows? Opera's attitude stinks of desperation and double standards.-nosh (March 12, 2009, 03:01 AM)
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You can read an interview with one of Opera's guys and get answer here:
http://www.betanews.com/article/Opera-CEO-von-Tetzchner-Microsofts-IE8-turnoff-is-not-enough/1236630337

SpoilerShort: if you're small you can do whatever you want to, if you're big... no ('cause you can shake the market)...

zridling:
You know, for years people have complained about Microsoft including IE with Windows, wanting them to stop.

But they fail to consider this:
If Microsoft didn't include a browser with their OS, then what would you use to visit a site and download your browser of choice? ... How do you visit a site and download Chrome, Firefox, K-Meleon, Opera, Safari, or any other browser if you don't have a browser to begin with?-app103 (March 11, 2009, 01:16 PM)
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FTP?

Imagine the heartache and trouble Microsoft could have saved itself if it had decoupled IE from Windows back in the 90s? When you click on something that requires a browser, Microsoft could simply offer a one-time choice to download it for you, let you install and go. Heck, they could even script it so that it runs the .exe itself just in case grandma doesn't know what to do next. But this "problem" isn't showing any signs of going away.

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