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from the it-ain't-what-you-do-its-the-way-that-you-do-it dept.
Microsoft is trying a new brute-force tactic to boost adoption of its Edge browser. In the latest preview version of Windows 10, Microsoft’s Mail app will automatically open web links in Edge, even for users who’ve set a different browser as their default. Doing so, Microsoft says, will ensure “the best, most secure and consistent experience on Windows 10 and across your devices.”
That’s not exactly true. Although Edge has gotten a lot better since it replaced Internet Explorer as the main Windows browser in 2015, and is now available on iOS and Android, it doesn’t yet sync tabs across devices like Chrome and Mozilla Firefox can. Also, the iPad version is still in beta, and the Android version isn’t compatible with tablets.
Besides, ignoring people’s default browser choice only makes the experience less consistent, because users end up with open web pages scattered across multiple browsers.
CNET has the following to say:
In a note to testers published on Microsoft's website Friday, the company seems to acknowledge it's a bit heavy-handed, and an unusual shift. But, the company believes it's worth doing anyway.
"We will begin testing a change where links clicked on within the Windows Mail app will open in Microsoft Edge, which provides the best, most secure and consistent experience on Windows 10 and across your devices," the company said in a note to "Windows Insider" testers.
The move struck some people as odd, particularly because of Microsoft's colorful history with web browsers. Two decades ago, the company chose to offer its Internet Explorer web browser for free with Windows, effectively beating its rival Netscape. But it also attracted the attention of regulators, kicking off one of the most high-profile antitrust suits in the industry's history.
Industry watchers and users raised concerns about Microsoft repeating similar mistakes with this move, noting that the company has touted diversity of apps by different developers as a selling point.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Sunday March 18 2018, @01:33AM (10 children)
The US is monopoly crazy, so they won't intervene. But, the EU can find MS in violation of monopoly laws, and order MS to refund full price of every copy of Windows sold in the EU, as well as paying a fine or equal value. Basically, everyone in Europe gets his Windows for free, and the EU takes all the profit that MS made in North America, and part of the rest of the world.
If that were enforced, MS would probably learn their lesson.
On the other hand - MS forced Win10 on most users without charge. Could be I'm wrong. MS just might consider that to be a win-win situation.
(Score: 2) by Spamalope on Sunday March 18 2018, @01:37AM (1 child)
On the other hand - MS forced Win10 on most users without charge. Could be I'm wrong. MS just might consider that to be a win-win situation.
They would once they crippled a few key features and then offered to allow it to work as an upsell. Or end security update support unless you pay on the eve of the next zero day release.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by anubi on Sunday March 18 2018, @08:44AM
First, they will "give" us WIN10, displacing any possibility of fallback. Wait a while longer, and you will find ads popping up on your screen, no matter what you are doing. Just like Google is doing now with YouTube. System function. You aren't the sole source of system input, you know. You will not have the option to shut them down.
Wanna get rid of the ads? Just purchase the monthly or annual pass. Just like YouTube Red.
Third-party ad blockers? Illegal. If your system detects attempts, your system will report you back to Microsoft. You will be punished. Likely by automated security update that not only removes your "infringing" code, your machine will run very slow to punish you, maybe double or quadruple your ad allocation for a limited time as penance for your transgression in lieu of getting a courtroom involved. You can't do anything about it because Congress has already deemed reverse-engineering and modification of code without "rightsholder" consent illegal.
Works just like an animal trap... bait it with a juicy morsel, and soon you have the entire animal caged and at your disposal. Businesses design the trap, and Congress provides the steel wire that animal teeth can't violate.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 18 2018, @01:44AM
"If that were enforced, MS would probably learn their lesson."
So long as this time Microsoft isn't allowed to pay their fines in the appropriate number of copies of microsoft software at retail value.
(Score: 3, Informative) by FakeBeldin on Sunday March 18 2018, @08:05AM (3 children)
Browser market share: https://www.netmarketshare.com/browser-market-share.aspx [netmarketshare.com]
Edge is barely distinguishable from 0%, unlike other browsers.
Mail clients: MailChimp's blog [mailchimp.com], or https://litmus.com/blog/email-client-market-share-trends-1h-2017 [litmus.com]
Conclusion: MS clients have between a 0% and 11% market share.
Conclusion: Microsoft doesn't have anything close to a monopoly in these markets. If they manage to consolidate all their users into one browser, it'll mean a significant bump for their browser, and it might *just* push it over the edge between "who cares" and "let's care".
Apple doing this might resemble monopoly: their mail apps combined constitute over 50% of the market.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 18 2018, @02:56PM (2 children)
That not the point.
The problem is that they abuse their Windows monopoly in order to force things down their users' throat.
(Score: 2) by FakeBeldin on Sunday March 18 2018, @10:58PM (1 child)
No, the article is about Microsoft abusing their mail app "monopoly" to froce things down their users' throats.
The point I made is that they do not have a monopoly there, not by a long shot.
And that's why I don't think any jurisdiction will slap this down. No court will say "ooh that's a monopoly" if Microsoft's market share is so small that it can easily be overlooked.
Back when the EU fined Microsoft for forcing users to use Internet Explorer, Microsoft controlled a huge percentage of the home and work desktops (don't have numbers, but I wouldn't be surprised by 90% or higher). But that's not what this is about. This story is about Microsoft leveraging its tiny, tiny marketshare of at best (combined over all MS's mail offerings) 11%, to promote its browser that has a share of 3.99%.
First of all, if Apple did this, it would be a different ball game. Apple accounts for 49% of mailers (see reference above), but its browser has a tiny install base. Getting the 49% of Apple mail users to use Safari for the web would be something. Getting the 7% of folks using Outlook to also use Edge? Likely, half of them already do.
Which leads to the second point. The interesting story here is that MS is choosing to deviate from OS-level preferences. This basically undermines the whole premise of using preferences. And they are deliberately willing to do so, in order to give their own browser a push.
That's much more of a story than "MS will use its non-existent market share in one area to boost its non-existent market share in another."
(Score: 2) by lentilla on Monday March 19 2018, @08:50AM
You mean like how Windows ignores the HOSTS file whenever it feels the urge?
This is just another chapter documenting a consistent, ongoing and untrustworthy pattern of behaviour.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Sunday March 18 2018, @11:10PM
That was a while ago now, I would imagine there are a lot more paid for licenses out there now.
The bit in TFA I thought was weird was: Besides, ignoring people’s default browser choice only makes the experience less consistent, because users end up with open web pages scattered across multiple browsers.
Ignoring people’s default browser choice is stupid as hell. I have made a choice, just respect it.
I can't decide whether Linuxmint KDE or Kubuntu will be what I move to. I won't be able to play Civ VI, but Civ V runs fine, so never mind.
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Monday March 19 2018, @06:43AM (1 child)
How does that work for all the 'forced' free upgrades from Windows 7/8?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 19 2018, @11:06AM
Well, if a person paid nothing, he may be owed nothing for a refund. Or, he might claim that he has "lost" something, such a privacy, and claim a refund of the advertised retail price anyway. Depends on how a person looks at the forced upgrades. If it happened to me, it would be an unwanted upgrade. My wife runs a Windows machine, and we took all steps that we knew about to prevent any upgrades from 7. So far, it has worked. If she turns the computer on tomorrow, and finds that it has been "upgraded", we'll be raising hell about it.
As for the "fines" portion of my idea - just count every copy of Win10 as a retail sale, no problem.