This is not the first time we get to look at Microsoft trying to please the European Union and its various commissions. Last time Microsoft offered to remove Internet Explorer all together from Windows 7. Why wasn’t that offer any good? Well it looks like it’s pretty difficult to download the browser of your choice without having a default browser like Internet Explorer to find your favorite browser with. So Microsoft decided to leave Internet Explorer on the future Windows 7 machines made for Europe but to also present a screen with various browser choices on it. That way users will be able to select their favorite, complete the installation and forever forget that Internet Explorer even exists:

In addition, (computer makers) would be able to install competing Web browsers, set those as default and disable Internet Explorer should they so wish. The Commission welcomes this proposal, and will now investigate its practical effectiveness in terms of ensuring genuine consumer choice.

Will the EU Commission be happy now? What’s your favorite Internet browser?

via cnet

Tags: European Commission, European Union, internet explorer, microsoft, microsoft, Mobile Software

Back in April, Skyfire was looking for Alpha users of its mobile browser. Now after that phase has been done with, Skyfire for the Blackberry announces its beta phase, oozing with enhancements from the previous alpha version.

Among the expected enhancements for the Skyfire Beta version include new keyboard shortcuts and the “Switch to Skyfire” option which is similar to the multi-tabbed browsing we see from Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Other features for the beta version include:

• Text Entry in Thumbnail view
• Contextual zoom with Camera Corners

While the Skyfire browser seems to show a lot of improvements from the alpha release, users are warned that it is still not perfect. Errors and slow performance are still being debugged so don’t set your expectations too high.

(Source) Softpedia

Tags: alpha release, alpha users, alpha version, beta phase, beta version, BlackBerry, Cell Phones, enhancements, Firefox, improvements, internet explorer, keyboard shortcuts, Mobile browser, Mobile Software, Skyfire, slow performance, thumbnail view, zoom

We all know how inconvenient Internet Explorer can be. In fact I bet that most of us have already tried plenty of alternatives and we have all found our favorite one. Whether it’s Mozilla, Safari or Chrome, Microsoft knows them to well and it’s surely unhappy that its customers would choose these Internet browsers over IE. That’s why it looks like the company is working on a new browser, the Gazelle, capable to go head to head against Google’s Chrome. What do you guys think? Should we trust Microsoft’s Gazelle? Should we expect a mobile version of it too?

via CNET

Tags: Chrome, Gazelle, internet explorer, microsoft, microsoft, Mobile Software, Mozilla, safari

Internet Explorer should never be your favorite choice for an Internet browser. Sorry Microsoft, but as long as there are better, faster, more dependable alternatives, IE will always lose. And it seems that even Microsoft is willing to confirm that there are better browsing choices as it’s not going to include IE in the future Windows 7.

Microsoft has miraculously found a way to take IE out of Windows 7 in order not to get a huge fine. The European Union told Microsoft to remove IE from Windows 7 or to include competitor’s browsers in Windows 7 and Microsoft agreed. In fact Microsoft will add browsers from the competition so we’re bound to see Opera, Mozilla and Google in Windows 7. What do you say folks? What browser will you choose?

Tags: browser, Google, internet explorer, microsoft, Mobile News, Mozilla, Opera, Windows 7

While 2008 was not the best of years for the majorioty of the population, the same could not be said for Mozilla. According to information released by Net Applications, Mozilla’s Firefox now has a full 20.78 percent market share.

Just to put this in perspective, Internet Explorer, which has been out for ages, has a 70% market share, and Apple’s Safari has a mere 7% market share.

Good job Mozilla, now let’s top Microsoft!

Read (vnunet)

Tags: Apple, browser, Firefox, internet explorer, Mozilla, safari, software