October 20th, 2009 admin
[From EU, Microsoft agree on browser ballot, testing to start soon - Ars Technica]
A great example of the arguments over defaults is for the default browser. To remove the advantages of the default, Microsoft is creating a ballot for users to choose a browser. The next fight is over who gets listed first.
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June 2nd, 2008 admin
The default search engine for web browsers is still very important and worth a lot of moneyBack in the day, when AOL took over Netscape, there was talk about how the default settings in Netscape pushed considerable traffic to Netcenter. AOL bought Netscape for those eyeballs.Mozilla’s Firefox has earned considerable revenue with its default search engine for Google. Mozilla earned $53 million in 2005 and $67 million in 2006. (Google also has a deal with Dell to install its search toolbar).This week Microsoft announced an agreement with HP to install copies of Internet Explorer with an extra Live Search toolbar. No word on the financial details.According to the AP story, “Angus Norton, a senior director in Microsoft’s Live Search group, said about 40 percent of Web surfers use whatever search engine is set as the default on their PC.” I personally find this hard to believe. This statistic is saying most people switch their default search engine. Maybe its my mac bias, but I really don’t see lots of people switching the default search engines.
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March 6th, 2008 admin
[From Microsoft Says IE 8's Default Settings Will Comply With Web Standards -- Microsoft]The next version of Internet Explorer (IE) will comply with web standards by default. This is a shift, because IE 8′s initial setting was an IE 7 compatibility mode. Web sites that wish to use IE 7 compatible mode will now have to insert a meta tag. (More technical details here)This change in default setting is of enormous importance to web designers, because it can reduce the need to develop an IE specific web design. The new default will encourage the use of web sites based on open standards versus an IE compatibility mode. Microsoft noted that this move should remove any potential legal or regulatory issues.Here is Microsoft’s explanation in a press release.
“Our initial plan had been to use IE7-compatible behavior as the default setting for IE8, to minimize potential impact on the world’s existing Web sites. We have now decided to make our most current standards-based mode the default in IE8.“This is obviously a complex issue, with important considerations on both sides,” Ozzie said. “On one hand, there are literally billions of Web pages designed to render on previous browser versions, including many sites that are no longer actively managed. On the other hand, there is a concrete benefit to Web designers if all vendors give priority to interoperability around commonly accepted standards as they evolve. After weighing these very legitimate concerns, we have decided to give top priority to support for these new Web standards.
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