Attacks from hackers, takedown campaigns by web activists and conflict with the European Union: Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) is not just the leading browser, it’s the most controversial one as well.
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In particular, the tight links between the program, available in Version 8 since March 2009, and the Windows operating system have provided plenty of fodder for critics. It’s also a significant factor in the product’s success.
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If Internet Explorer didn’t come pre-installed, then it wouldn’t be used so often because there are better alternatives, argues Jens Appelt from Germany’s Computer Bild magazine.
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Leaving behind the matter of better alternatives, Appelt’s statement otherwise mirrors the sentiments of the European Union (EU) in Brussels. The EU Commission has been fighting with Microsoft over the way the company bundles its products.
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IE has come pre-installed as the default browser on Windows PCs since the mid-90s. Because nine of ten computers sold worldwide are estimated to run Windows, this provides the manufacturer with an enormous channel to distribute its browser.
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The company’s competitors have complained that bundling IE with Windows represents monopolistic behaviour, prompting a formal complaint by Norwegian browser maker Opera in Brussels.
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The EU Commission called on Microsoft to comment on the situation. The company then proposed allowing customers of Windows 7 to use a window to select their preferred browser themselves. Dealers could also delete the already pre-installed Internet Explore and install other browsers.
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A more radical approach to breaking Microsoft’s dominance on the browser market is being advocated by a group of activists in the US. Their solution is a script called Explorer Destroyer. It allows operators of Web sites to determine which browser their visitors are using. If IE is discovered, then the script can be set to either politely encourage a switch to Firefox or to block access to the site altogether.
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The initiative’s chances…