With the initial test release of Internet Explorer v.7 having recently occurred, Google is complaining that the new browser's default search engine is MSN. Basically, IE 7 will have an embedded search box the same way that Firefox does. (IE 7 will have a striking number of similarities with FF. Shocker.) And the default setting for this search box will be MSN search. Another shocker. You build a browser, why not set the default search to your own search engine. The search box is customizable in a way that I'm sure that Firefox works. You can switch between search engines and add more to your list of possible searches.
Google, however feels like this is a deliberate attack on them, and not only that, but that it borders on the kind of anti-trust stuff that Microsoft has gotten raked over the coals for before. But you know what? I'm not buying it. I think Google is just being a whiny baby because the most popular browser will have its default search set to something other than Google. You know why I feel that way? Because Firefox and Opera come pre-configured with Google as their default search engine. Google is trying to make Microsoft consider some wacky setup option that would require a user setting up IE 7 to either enter the URL of their preferred search engine or choose it from a list.
Keep in mind, that I am happy with Firefox and I use Google as my preferred search engine and am blogging this on Google's blogger service. But it just seems whiny of Google to try to imply that Microsoft is breaking the law here. If people want to use Google to search they will. Google didn't have any problem being the default search engine on other browsers, so for them to complain here makes them start to sound more and more like Microsoft every day.
3 comments:
That's odd. Google can do no wrong IMO, but that's just weak of them to claim this is anything close to an anti-trust issue.
I ditto my uncle.
FF/Google have cult followings. Which, by their own nature, don't just switch over to the newest thing, i.e. MS anything...and they're militant about it. They stick with their same weird 80's movies, obscure indie music, crappy sports teams and automobile makes with fierce loyalty and complete rejection of the idea that something else could ever be a better idea.
Myself included.
I'm a recent convert to FF, and like a lot of what Google does, but am not ready to just accept everything they throw out (GoogleTalk for example). I want to switch to the Google personal home page, but am still waiting for them to add some functionality that I currently depend on from my Yahoo! homepage.
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