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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

#311

Post by Dwedit »

mrweasel wrote: post #7
eimrine wrote: post #3

Default browser has to be something as lite as possible, probably Pale Moon. Because random apps use to call the browser any time they want and if the default browser is browser I use, it eats a lot of time and laptop battery trying to start my hundreds-tab monster.

That makes me wonder: What are the rules for something to be considered a browser? Does it need to provide certain functionality, or can I register anything as a browser and just have links open in an editor?

If it's Chromium, it's a web browser. Steam? Web browser. Literally any Electron app? Web browser.

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

#312

Post by coffeeling »

tempodox wrote: post #307
pjerem wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> there's presumably no technical/compatibility issues that would stop the rest of the world using it to. There never were an technical issue in defining the default browser. It's something that worked on any OS since nearly 30 years, including Windows. It's 100% disrespect.

Complete disrespect for the end luser is nothing new with Microsoft.

I feel like there are two Microsofts. There are parts that make some honestly good software. And then there are parts touched by Bing and MSN, and they're some of the most hideous, dark patterny piles of user hostile garbage. Win11 search, widgets. Edge. Now Skype. They just ruin things that might otherwise even be great. Edge has a bunch of good ideas going on the UI but it hates user choice so much it just feels bad to use.

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

#313

Post by coffeeling »

WirelessGigabit wrote: post #277
_fat_santa wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have to ask a really basic question: Why does Microsoft have such a vested interest in users using Edge over competitors? I get the argument: "it's their browser, of course they want people to use it" but for me that answer isn't satisfactory. What is the financial motive to go through all the trouble of pushing Edge? The only reason I can think of is "your data" but even then, what sort of data might MS want to ex…

Have you used Microsoft Edge recently? It is a dumping ground for all things that Microsoft wants to try in a way that is easier to do than sending A/B testing out via Windows Update. * Collections * Shopping * Browser Essentials * Website scanning * Outlook integration * Games integration * ...

They have a OneNote feed sidebar now, too. Actually great for quick notes during browsing. Except that it's part of Edge, which is a privacy disaster full of dark patterns.

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

#314

Post by tankenmate »

kuschku wrote: post #147
tankenmate wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> UK food inflation is still higher than just about all EU countries even without the checks Have you considered that UK food inflation is higher precisely because they're not in the single market?

That was my exact point; it's somewhat more expensive to import food into the UK now because of Brexit. And far more expensive to export (in relative terms to EU sourced food in the EU).

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

#315

Post by tredre3 »

Pannoniae wrote: post #183
jwells89 wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That last 5% is killer, because it’s just enough to make rebooting into Windows a pain in the rear, and much of it is the type of software that refuses to run in VMs due to things like anticheat.

The games with kernel anticheat are exactly the user-hostile games you wouldn't want to play anyway. (PUBG, Valorant, Fortnite, etc.) Normal, enjoyable games don't have kernel anticheat.

> The games with kernel anticheat are exactly the user-hostile games you wouldn't want to play anyway. (PUBG, Valorant, Fortnite, etc.)

Oh? Tell me more about me not wanting to play games that are fun and very widespread in my group of friends?

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

#316

Post by coffeeling »

_fat_santa wrote: post #265
helsinkiandrew wrote: post #208

> In the European Economic Area (EEA), Windows system components use the default browser to open links. That shows such complete and utter contempt for the wishes of their users. The user has actively selected a browser as the one they want to use by default, but windows only uses it in the EEA because they were forced to. As it will be used by EEA system components, there's presumably no technical/compatibility issu…

I have to ask a really basic question: Why does Microsoft have such a vested interest in users using Edge over competitors? I get the argument: "it's their browser, of course they want people to use it" but for me that answer isn't satisfactory. What is the financial motive to go through all the trouble of pushing Edge? The only reason I can think of is "your data" but even then, what sort of data might MS want to ex…

Advertising is really lucrative. MS wants to get a bigger share of the pie, and that's done by driving people to use Bing. Also, if Bing Chat gets people used to using AI chatbots for search, that dramatically increases the cost of delivering search. Search results are not a huge chunk of Microsoft's revenue, but they are Google's main source of income. Search standardizing on LLM chatbots would take a huge chunk out of Google's margins.

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

#317

Post by tstenner »

pbmonster wrote: post #288
arkx wrote: post #270

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your web browsing habits reveal a lot more about you than your desktop habits.

Really hard to hide your web browsing habits from the OS itself. They could trivially grab most of the data, if they wanted.

And lose either 4% of their global revenue or the european market

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

#318

Post by pnt12 »

spuz wrote: post #253
RajBhai wrote: post #128

The other day I tried to install Chrome on a new laptop. (Insert joke about what Edge is good for.) However, Edge wasn't letting me actually download the Chrome installer. When I clicked the download button on the Chrome website, instead of any indication of its progress or completion, Edge instead displayed a pop-up that kept reassuring me that Edge was just as good. So it turns out, Edge isn't even good enough to f…

Interestingly those banners telling you Edge is just as good only appear when you Bing Chrome, not Firefox.

Download Edge, then download Firefox, then download Chrome.

Edge: the best browser downloader downloader!

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

#319

Post by baz00 »

nottheengineer wrote: post #274
baz00 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For lack of a better response, as a customer I'd like to tell them to fuck off because both are terrible user experiences. It's like wading through trash.

Telling them to fuck off means using linux. It's a hard step at first, but I highly recommend giving it a shot. After learning the basics, I can't go back to windows anymore because I know how a proper OS works and can see how terrible windows actually is as an operating system, not just in terms of user experience. That alone keeps me motivated to push through any difficulties I face with linux.

Or a Mac.

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

#320

Post by HeckFeck »

user3939382 wrote: post #36

I'm loving M$ having to admit they're intentionally abusing their users by disrespecting their preferences even when it would cost them nothing to do so.

The worst part is they have the resources to make a browser that people want, without having to shove it upon everyone. If they did the following in some alt timeline, I'd be a happy Edge user:

- Stuck to EdgeHTML and Chakra for a better diversity of web technologies

- No bloat, tracking, data siphoning, sign in pressure, sketchy financial services, bing integration shitware

- Cross platform (Win/OSX/Lx at least)

- Open source so we know there's no funny business

That would be a genuinely interesting browser that would have a chance of selling itself.

Instead we get a poor Chrome reskin that offers minimal incentive to use it.

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