Microsoft users to be offered choice of browsers

Millions of Microsoft Windows users will be asked to choose their default web browser after a requirement by the European Commission came into effect today.

Computers running the Windows operating system will now display a ballot screen asking which browser to run, including Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

The software giant made a legally binding commitment to offer users the choice after EU antitrust regulators dropped a long-running anti-competitive case last December.

Rivals had complained attaching Internet Explorer to Windows was an unfair way for Microsoft to put its web software on most of the world's computers.

Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said: "Millions of European consumers will benefit from this decision by having a free choice about which web browser they use.

"Such choice will not only serve to improve people's experience of the internet now but also act as an incentive for web browser companies to innovate and offer people better browsers in the future."

Windows XP, Vista and the new Windows 7 operating systems will present users with a message box headed: "An important choice to make: your browser."

The five most popular browsers will appear in a random order on the screen, with more choices available on an additional screen.

Dave Heiner, Microsoft's vice president and deputy general counsel said: "In December, the European Commission and Microsoft arrived at a resolution of a number of long-standing competition law issues.

"Microsoft made a legally binding commitment that PC manufacturers and users will continue to be able to install any browser on Windows, to make any browser the default browser, and to turn access to Internet Explorer on or off."

He added: "In addition, Microsoft agreed to use Windows Update to provide a browser choice screen to Windows users in Europe who are running Internet Explorer as their default browser. This browser choice screen will present a list of browsers, with links to learn more about them and

install them."

Mitchell Baker, Mozilla's chair said: "This is something new and we've never seen this before – one thing that's clear is millions of people are going to see this screen asking what browser they want to use so our most active goal is to help people understand what a browser is and why this choice matters.

"Of course we think Firefox is the best browser, but more important is that people aren't astonished, or shocked or insecure or scared or feel they've done something wrong and that somewhere there's some education, so the fact that a browser has a big impact on you and that it's safe to change browser, this is a really important thing for people to understand."