How do I get a browser if Microsoft unbundles IE?

January 17, 2009 · by Haavard

I notice that a lot of people people are wondering how they are going to be able to install a browser if IE is removed from Windows by default. This is a good question, but the answer is fairly straightforward.

If I am not mistaken, most Windows installations are not direct Windows purchases, but rather OEM versions preinstalled on new computers. In other words, the vast majority of Windows installations will come with the OEM's browser of choice, rather than Microsoft forcing all OEMs to stick with IE as they have been doing.

Then there's perhaps a smaller group which will install Windows manually. There are several possible solutions for this group, such as offering a way to download any browser through some kind of portal the first time you connect to the internet (most Linux distributions have package managers, so why not Windows?), supplying separate disks containing the browser(s), and so on.

For the vast majority of people, I don't see that this will become a problem since they will simply use the browser the OEM decided to bundle. And with antitrust regulators breathing down Microsoft's neck they won't be able to force OEMs to bundle IE anymore.

Readers' comments 16

Left under the original article, as archived.

nafmo17. January 2009, 23:02:27
Uhm, FTP or install from a DVD? I believe that I installed Netscape Navigator from floppies to get a browser on Windows for Workgroups 3.11 back in the mid-1990s. We used to hand them out to students back at the university. I even wrote a small program to span Netscape onto four floppies due to its size. I wonder where that program is now? (We didn't hand out Opera, even if it fit one floppy, since it was shareware, while Netscape was free for educational use)

I was facing a similar problem trying to get Opera on a newly installed Windows 95 (pre-Internet Explorer) back around that time. I had an FTP client, but Opera was only downloadable over HTTP, so I had to use FTP to download Netscape Navigator first, to then download Opera 2.12.
Mickeyjoe_irl18. January 2009, 00:33:36
ISPs could also include a browser with their packs. That used to be standard practice.
haavard18. January 2009, 00:56:41
That's a good point, Mickeyjoe_irl. I still think the vast majority of people will get one through the OEM, though.
Mickeyjoe_irl18. January 2009, 01:34:02
AFAIK, most router configuration is done through a web page. If you can no longer guarantee that a PC will already have a browser installed it makes sense to include one. It will be interesting to see if any browser companies pick up on this and start approaching the ISPs.
Kai_Lapis18. January 2009, 02:14:23
So if the OEMs can bundle whatever browser they want as the default browser, what benefit will come out of forcing MS to offer Windows without IE? Windows XP N edition was a waste. Why would this be any different? I believe the important point is that Microsoft does not bar OEMs from preinstalling competing browsers, and they haven't for a while already.
Aux18. January 2009, 12:21:43
IE can not be totally removed from Windows. What Microsoft will do is to remove its interface, yet engine will be inside, since a lot of software requires it. So what's the problem? Just type www.opera.com in your Windows Explorer!
dbloom18. January 2009, 20:11:41
It's extremely unlikely that Microsoft will be able to completely remove all traces of IE from Windows, because the IE platform is used for a lot of the software that comes with Windows (Media Player, Vista gadgets, Windows XP SP2 security center, CHM help files...) and for a lot of other software (Norton AntiVirus, Google Talk, Miranda, Microsoft Outlook 2003 for reading HTML mail...). And really, that's fine, because as long as bundled IE platform is marketed as an application platform, not a web browser, it's not really competing with Opera, Firefox, Chrome, etc. I'm all for web standards, but I also don't want to break a lot of Windows software that depends on the IE platform.

Because the IE rendering engine probably has to stay in Windows, Microsoft should include a barebones browser based on it with Windows. This browser would have very limited features...it would not support bookmarks/favorites, a search box, printing, offline mode, cacheing, history, tabs, and many other "nice-to-have" features. All it really needs to have is a Back button, a Forward button, a Refresh button, an address bar, and the ability to download files. The browser will be crippled enough that nobody would put up with it for regular day-to-day use, but it still would be capable enough for it to be easy to get a full-featured browser.

This minimalist browser would empower users to go download the browser of their choice - Internet Explorer, Opera, Firefox, Chrome, or whatever. None of those choices would be given preferential treatment in Microsoft's retail and default OEM configurations of Windows (e.g. Microsoft cannot make the default homepage of the simple browser be a page that promotes Internet Explorer). Instead, browser makers could run their own marketing campaigns that advise users on how to get their browsers using the simple browser built into Windows (TV ads, pamphlets bundled with new computers, etc).
zomg18. January 2009, 21:18:43
Funny thought. Windows would be the only OS without bundled browser. Most linux distros come with one, Mac's come with one...

This is discrimination!
FrostDust18. January 2009, 22:00:07
Re: zomg

The difference is that nothings stops you from uninstalling Safari, Firefox, Konquerer, Iceweasel, etc. on those operating systems.

Similar to what dbloom said, even on Linux many programs expect to have Gecko availible for usage and depend upon it, which is frustrating when I don't use FF or want it installed. Democracy Player used to do this, as does yelp, Ubuntu's help documentation program.
zomg18. January 2009, 22:07:43
I suppose nothing would stop you from doing that, but it's basically the same as cutting off your legs. The OS will become pretty crippled after that - at least with the case of Konqueror (or IE for that matter)
haavard19. January 2009, 08:42:38
Kai_Lapis: The benefit is that the OEM or user is completely in charge. Remember, Microsoft has broken the law here by, among other things, forcing OEMs to bundle IE. Breaking the law has consequences.

zomg: As I said, breaking the law has consequences. And as I actually said in the blog post (did you read it before commenting?), computers would not come without a bundled browsers. OEMs will bundle the browser of their choice. The OS will not become crippled for OEMs because they will be happy to have the choice, and it will not become crippled for users because OEMs will always bundle a browser.

Again, please read the blog post and comments before responding.

dbloom: Microsoft would probably have to leave Trident in there, but they would have to remove the parts that make up the browser (user interface and such). Even a very basic browser isn't needed. Let the OEMs and ISPs take care of the browser.
dbloom19. January 2009, 12:19:39
haavard: My concern is that if no browser is included, it would make it harder to get on the Internet after installing Windows, which would bolster Microsoft's original argument for bundling IE.

As long as it is a super-minimalist browser (it doesn't even need to support Javascript), I don't see a problem including a really basic browser under Start/Programs/Accessories. For the same reason that MSPaint doesn't take market share from Photoshop, this basic browser won't really take any market share from Opera, Mozilla, or Google Chrome.
haavard19. January 2009, 13:43:52
dbloom: OEMs will do the browser bundling, so the vast majority will be covered by that. People like you and I always have various DVDs, USB keys, other computers, etc. to transfer a browser from.

ISPs could easily supply new customers with a browser as well, the way they used to. You need to contact a company to get online after all, so that would be an easy and convenient way to get a browser for the rest of us.

Not to mention all the magazine CDs and DVDs out there with browsers on them.
Fyrd19. January 2009, 14:24:59
I wrote a blog post about this back when the complaint was made, pointing out some of the issues involved...seems like quite an interesting situation.
zomg19. January 2009, 14:34:07
I think the argument that people who build their own PCs will always have something to copy the stuff from doesn't make any sense.

Sure - I have a bunch of computers at home. BUT NONE OF THEM WORK. How do I copy files from a PC that doesn't work? Oh wait...

I suppose I could use my phone (thanks Opera! ) and download Opera with it and copy it to the computer using the USB cable. But why does it have to be so difficult?

edit: no, I don't think I have any CDs with a browser on them either for that matter... but that gives me an idea...

What stops MS from bundling IE on the installation media? Nothing! As long as it's optional. Why didn't anyone point this out? I feel stupid for not realizing this sooner.
haavard19. January 2009, 14:40:37
True, I suppose IE could be an optional program to be installed separately (not while installing Windows) from the Windows installation CD/DVD.