Browser Underdogs Want Ballot Screen Changes

Microsoft Developer's Journal

Microsoft’s browser rivals aren’t satisfied with the tentative “ballot screen” settlement that the company came to with the European Commission, which would offer all its European users a chance to download a rival browser.

Google, Mozilla and Opera want changes made.

According to the New York Times, Mozilla doesn’t like the idea of the top five browsers by market share in Europe would appear in a row alphabetically from left to right. That would put Apple’s Safari first. Mozilla doesn’t think that’s fair on the theory it would give Safari – not your first thought for an Internet Explorer substitute – an advantage; it wants them to appear randomly. 

Then Opera, whose complaints started the EC’s bundling investigation despite the fact that IE has been losing share, doesn’t like the idea that the page bears a Microsoft logo and that its standard warning appears when people go to download non-Microsoft software. 

It’s unclear what Google objects to but all comments have to be in by November 10.

The rivals will also reportedly push for the EC to survey consumer use of the ballot screen more frequently than two years from now.