Microsoft has done what I never expected them to do…they removed the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation that was previously needed to download and install IE 7! This news comes straight from the Internet Explorer blog, and this is their reasoning for doing it:
Because Microsoft takes its commitment to help protect the entire Windows ecosystem seriously, we’re updating the IE7 installation experience to make it available as broadly as possible to all Windows users. With today’s “Installation and Availability Update,” Internet Explorer 7 installation will no longer require Windows Genuine Advantage validation and will be available to all Windows XP users. If you are not already running IE7, you can get it now from the Internet Explorer home page on Microsoft.com, get a customized version from a third-party site, or, if you haven’t already received it via Automatic Updates, this version will be delivered to you as we described previously.
No, really, I’m sure that it’s because Microsoft wants to “help protect the entire Windows ecosystem,” and it has nothing to do with Firefox gaining ground on them. It also appears that the IE 7 market share is starting to level off around 34%, while the IE 6 market share is still at 42%:
Microsoft has probably determined that they need to provide users with the best browsing experience possible, even those that have pirated versions of Windows. If they don’t give people a better caliber browser then they will likely turn to free alternatives such as Firefox and Opera.
Sorry, but I can’t help but point and laugh at Microsoft’s sudden change in heart.
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Tags: Freeware, Software, Windows, Browser, Downloads, Internet Explorer, Microsoft, WGA
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We have IE7 at work, we also have Firefox. Most of us use Firefox. We use to have OpenOffice and MS Office, now all we have is Open Office. We are still running Windows and we use Microsoft Office Communicator (MOC) but not office. The other night when I had to go over to one of our Advanced Technical Support reps, he was just logging in and bringing up all of his applications, which included Firefox and Thunderbird.
Besides the search bar and default search provider, why else does Microsoft care if people use IE or other browsers? There isn’t much in the way of advertising in IE 7.
protected mode should be brought to xp’s ie7
I have been wondering this forever too. Where is the money…? I think it has to do with the fact that it’s one less Microsoft item you’ll be using. Think about it, Microsoft is starting to lose a lot of what it had, online word processors are getting bigger,Google and Open office are challenging there office suite and I don’t use Windows media player much more either (Win amp!) it’ll be a while but soon Microsoft will fade more into the background as things evolve.
Fine with me…Don’t use IE7 anyway…FF2 and Opera FTW!
Where is the money?
Advertising on live.com… The only chance they have to compete against google in the search advertising space is to get more people to use the default search provider in IE7.
Remember that Microsoft has something like 10-14% of the search market(can’t remember the numbers), and if they could get the zillions of IE6 users to upgrade they could probably grow that percentage by a lot.
They do still command 76% or so of the browser space.
You’re exactly right How-to-Geek. The Live.com search is exactly how they’re going to make revenue (at least a portion of it) off of their new HealthVault service as well. Most people using Internet Explorer aren’t going to bother changing the default homepage which means that there’s a good chance they use the search that’s right in front of them - Windows Live Search. The more people that use their search, the more money they make.
its because they fear opensource if ppl start using firefox its more likely they will be willing/able to switch to linux
after all if all sites work in firefox it means theres incentive to go to linux if they dont less incentive
Because the default homepage and search bar are set to Microsoft’s sites. If people begin using another browser then that could be traffic that they miss out on. Think about how many times you’ve seen someone start IE and have it open to MSN, and then think about how many times you see some open Firefox and have MSN show up.
It’s not just about search as I mentioned in the previous response. The homepage plays a big roll as well. There is a lot of advertising on the MSN homepage, and I would say upwards of 80% of people I know using IE have never changed their homepage from MSN.
so does it mean that some1 who installed the cracked ie7 on xp can uninstall it and install the legal version?
i hope that is not to complicated.
Long live Firefox
That couldn’t be further from the truth. Using a different web browser is a lot different than switching operating systems. I use Firefox and I have no plans on switching to Linux or any other OS.
By the way, most web site work on Firefox. Only older sites developed by amateurs don’t work.
now it is my time to disagree. at least in a local level.
although many many many websites who appeal to English visitors (that i visit anyway) are doing gr8 in Firefox, many local sites, not necessarily small, but those who serve small populations (in relative to the huge audience of English speakers for example) do tend to be less friendly to Firefox. and i am talking about large banks (the largest) and the largest web portals (think in terms of yahoo or AOL, but on a smaller scale) and not to mention government sites (although they are at least claim to b obligated to using standards, from now on that is).
And although some might be able to render mostly ok, some features do get left behind. some of those features are very big.
but thanks to continuance nagging on talkbacks, emails and bad press, we slowly but surely will have them fix their evil ways.
I would guess so. There should be an option to uninstall it in your Add/Remove programs.
I agree with your Cory. I have my family using Firefox but they are still on Windows. There’s no way that many of them would be able to stomach using Linux on a regular basis right now. They have grown too accustomed to many other Linux-only programs.
I heard that same thing a few months back from someone who lives in Europe. I thought Firefox was becoming more of a standard, but that’s not always the case.