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Windows 11 system components use the default browser to open links in Europe

blogs.windows.com

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Re: Windows 11 system components use the default browser to open links in Europe

#111

Post by hellcow »

janandonly wrote: post #83
candiddevmike wrote: post #6

How do I make Windows 11 think I'm in the EU?

When you're at the point of tricking your operating system into thinking you're in a different country to make it function properly, it may be time to try a new OS. macOS has excellent compatibility with 95% of windows software through Parallels, and also respects your choice of browser. I have Firefox, Chrome, Tor Browser and Brave running next to my current browser of preference, Safari. But switching back and fort…

MacOS, run by Apple, the same company that mandates the Safari engine on iOS? The same company that fights tooth and nail against allowing non-“approved” apps to run on their devices?

Let’s not delude ourselves to thinking that two of the richest tech companies in the world are all that different. Both are working against your interests to monopolize their turf.

The group that truly puts users first is FOSS: Linux and BSD.

Re: Windows 11 system components use the default browser to open links in Europe

#112

Post by martin_a »

kypro wrote: post #77

Wonder how much this regulation cost to draft, pass, and implement? Several million dollars? Any EU tax payers care to justify this insanity? I mean does any normal person even care about this? Eg, not people on HN with Macbook Pros – your average Windows user. At the end of the day Windows does loads of stuff I don't like. That's why I don't use Windows anymore. Like with most things the EU regulates this just isn't…

> Any EU tax payers care to justify this insanity?

EU tax payer here. I was asked by the EU if they could use my tax money for this and I was fine with that. I think my neighbour was also asked and he was cool with that, too, so the EU went this way.

Don't worry, it wasn't your money that was spent here...

Re: Windows 11 system components use the default browser to open links in Europe

#113

Post by [deleted] »

fh9302 wrote: post #104
horsawlarway wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple avoids the problem of not respecting my browser choice how, exactly? Apple open webviews in Safari, does not respect the user's choice at all, and doesn't even allow you to install a non-safari browser on their mobile OS. This is like peak irony. Apple is the walking definition of this problem.

Why are you comparing a desktop operating system to a mobile operating system? On macOS Apple lets you trivially set a different default browser and doesn't annoy you about it.

[deleted]

Re: Windows 11 system components use the default browser to open links in Europe

#114

Post by FirmwareBurner »

Broken_Hippo wrote: post #37
pavlov wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The EEA is practically “EU + a handful of countries that apply EU rules but don’t get to participate in decision making for historical reasons”. That’s why Britain didn’t even consider joining the EEA after they left the Union. From their point of view, it would still be the regulatory burden of EU membership without most of the benefits they enjoyed as a full member. When they’d decided to take the economic impact o…

It’s strictly the regulatory burden of EU membership without any of the benefits of the club. That's not really true if you are living in one of those countries (I live in one of those countries). In general, we get the protections that the EU gives its people and I get free travel within the zone. Lots of little things like my phone working without outrageous charges when I travel to most places here, too.

>like my phone working without outrageous charges when I travel to most places here

Just don't get anywhere near Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco with your roaming enabled :)

Re: Windows 11 system components use the default browser to open links in Europe

#115

Post by Barrin92 »

kypro wrote: post #77

Wonder how much this regulation cost to draft, pass, and implement? Several million dollars? Any EU tax payers care to justify this insanity? I mean does any normal person even care about this? Eg, not people on HN with Macbook Pros – your average Windows user. At the end of the day Windows does loads of stuff I don't like. That's why I don't use Windows anymore. Like with most things the EU regulates this just isn't…

>Any EU tax payers care to justify this insanity?

Yes. The EU has an annual economic output of about 17.4 trillion Euros. A few million dollars in taxes is probably like what, 0.0001% of the zones tax burden, a fraction of a cent of my taxes?

I'll do you one better, if I could kill one of big techs user hostile features with a regulation I will chime in 50 bucks per bill. Windows probably runs on 90%+ of people's home and work devices, no regular user is just switching off Windows, you're not the norm.

Re: Windows 11 system components use the default browser to open links in Europe

#116

Post by dijit »

jemmyw wrote: post #94
tmpX7dMeXU wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple doesn’t disrespect set user preferences in the same way that Microsoft does. This sort of oversimplified drive-by whataboutism isn’t great for conversation.

They respect it on Mac and don't let you have a non WebKit browser on iOS

The hard and fast rule is: you're not permitted to have a source code interpreter.

That's the "rules of engagement", same way you can't run Flash or Linux binaries; the same way you can't touch windows kernel space without a code-signing certificate from a eye-gouging authority.

Exceptions to apples rule are rarely given, even for educational purposes; such as pythonista.

When taken though that lens; if we hadn't turned everything into a fucking web-app: alternative interpreters of HTML/CSS could exist.

Unrelated, but: Ironically the original vision for the iPhone was web-apps not native ones (as there was only an app store created after community backlash over Apple pushing people to the web).

Re: Windows 11 system components use the default browser to open links in Europe

#117

Post by tankenmate »

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #35
pavlov wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The EEA is practically “EU + a handful of countries that apply EU rules but don’t get to participate in decision making for historical reasons”. That’s why Britain didn’t even consider joining the EEA after they left the Union. From their point of view, it would still be the regulatory burden of EU membership without most of the benefits they enjoyed as a full member. When they’d decided to take the economic impact o…

No, they get the benefit of tariff-free and non-tariff-barrier-free trade in goods and services with EU members. That's a huge deal.

But tariff free trade for goods benefits the EU more as the UK service sector is bigger than their goods sector. UK services companies (especially regulated services like finance, law, etc) are at a disadvantage to EU companies because the UK companies don't have equivalency (i.e. the either need extra checks (costs) to operate in the EU, or need to open a corporate office in the EU).

And, the UK recently decided to forgo their UKCA mark to replace the CE mark as it would cost UK businesses too much to support both.

And lastly the UK has yet to impose sanitary and phyto-sanitary rules on imports into the UK because it would cost consumers in the UK too much (UK food inflation is still higher than just about all EU countries even without the checks). But the EU does impose sanitary and phyto-sanitary checks on food imports to the EU from the UK. So, in net the EU benefits from this as well.

So in balance the UK doesn't benefit. And it's a huge deal.

Re: Windows 11 system components use the default browser to open links in Europe

#118

Post by tomhallett »

zuhsetaqi wrote: post #93
desi_ninja wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When will Apple admit?

Where is Apple 'intentionally abusing their users by disrespecting their preferences'?

When someone texts me an address, the only option is “Open in Maps” which is for Apple Maps, when I’d clearly prefer Google Maps.

When I click on an address in FB Messenger, I get the “open in google maps or Apple Maps” prompt, but choosing Google Maps just takes me to the Google Maps App Store page, even though I have the app installed and updated.

If there is a solution to this problem (where my attempts failed for some reason), I’d be all ears. :)

Re: Windows 11 system components use the default browser to open links in Europe

#119

Post by jemmyw »

pjc50 wrote: post #61
pavlov wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The EEA is practically “EU + a handful of countries that apply EU rules but don’t get to participate in decision making for historical reasons”. That’s why Britain didn’t even consider joining the EEA after they left the Union. From their point of view, it would still be the regulatory burden of EU membership without most of the benefits they enjoyed as a full member. When they’d decided to take the economic impact o…

The regulatory "burden" is also a benefit, in general, which a lot of people fail to understand and is also the reason Brexit Britain hasn't significantly diverged from EU rules.

Yes, it's hard to explain to people just how much of a saving being in the EU makes on regulations. It outweighs having the odd regulation that you don't agree with. If the UK does move away from EU regulations then they'll have to duplicate a lot of effort.

Re: Windows 11 system components use the default browser to open links in Europe

#120

Post by conartist6 »

tmpX7dMeXU wrote: post #90
desi_ninja wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When will Apple admit?

Apple doesn’t disrespect set user preferences in the same way that Microsoft does. This sort of oversimplified drive-by whataboutism isn’t great for conversation.

Oh yes they do. Have you ever tried to assign the .mp4 extension to open with something other than QuickTime? It just doesn't work, and it hasn't worked for a looooong time.
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