Where's the money in IE 7 ?

[- Bobb -]

Steve Ballmer quoted in today's Fortune magazine:
http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/05/31/ap2783614.html


' "There's a lot of innovation still coming in Internet browsing and
hardware," Ballmer told investors at a conference organized by Sanford
C. Bernstein and Co. LLC. "If we don't keep Windows fresh, Windows will
not continue to flourish."

Microsoft is currently working on new versions of its browser, Internet
Explorer 7, and operating system, Windows Vista. '

======================

Where's "the money" in developing a new version of IE vs using either
IE6 or even , god forbid - Firefox.
If tomorrow the OEM's wanted to use IE6 or bundle Firefox into the new
PC's, how does that "hurt" Microsoft ?
How does having a IE 7 help MSFT " flourish "? After 6 tries their's is
STILL buggy / prone to infection.

Looking at it from an investor's point of view , I see it as a case of
vanity and a waste of money.

 

[Josh]

My opinion is that part of the money in IE7 is from the revenue they will
make in the increase in the search market with the built in search box that
will have live as the default on many systems....

 

[Guest]

It drives me nuts when people talk about how "buggy" or how "flawed"
Microsoft's products are, and complaints about how long it takes Microsoft to
put product out. What company has the most operating systems in home PCs? In
work PCs? Microsoft. What does that mean for people of malicious intent?
Microsoft is the best target because it will get their virus or their hack
into more people's lives and gain more publicity. If Linux or Mac were as big
as Windows and as widely used as Windows you'd be griping about the same
problems with them. Look at the big picture for once.

 

[Guest]

Haha, all software is buggy! OS X, Linux, and Windows. And the bigger the
program, the more mistakes. If I wrote an operating system with 50 million
lines of code (or whatever it may actually be) it would have more problems
than that. Thats why I don't complain. And yes, Microsoft is a much bigger
target, an obvious choice for virus/spyware writers.

 

[abcd]

But most of the people know Google. Even my 4 yrs old daughter quickly
clicks google icon and types "d o r a" and clicks the available first link
to start her play....

 

[Dustin Harper]

So Firefox get's its operating revenue boost from having Google as it's
default search engine?

Google has such a high name recognition, I still see people using it rather
than the Live search. Google's results are better, IMO, too. A few people
will use the Live default search, but they will be the people that use IE7,
Vista that came with their computers, and Windows Mail. Nothing else. They
check their email, play Solitare, and check stocks or news. The other people
usually know a little bit about computers and can type google.com into their
address bar. And Google will have something that lets them change their
default search to Google.

Dustin Harper

 

[Guest]

Google already has such a thing. If you use IE7 BETA 2, navigate to Google's
home page and you should get a little box that pops up asking if you want to
set google as your default quick search agent. I've done it with my browser.

 

[Greenfruit]

Am I nuts or all these people are nuts ?
I am one of those that <quote>check their email, play Solitare,
and check stocks or news</quote> **but** always use Google search
engine since they come to www. With IE6, I had the Google toolbar.
With IE7, I don't need it, because it is the **default** in both
search and address bars.
What's up with you, guys ?
Regards.

 

[Guest]

It's only the default if you or someone else on your computer set it that
way. By default, IE7 loads with Microsoft's search engine. Why would
Microsoft load someone else's search engine by default?

 

[Greenfruit]

Good question to ask MS. Because, I'm the only person working
on my pc and I don't default it. It was IE7 itself, when I installed it,
that reading my IE6 defaults put them without asking me for it.
Was it an abuse of MS regarding myself ? I think not.

Regards.

 

[Guest]

Are you talking about your default home page or the little search box in top
right corner of IE7?

 

[Greenfruit]

I'm talking about <quote>the little search box in top
right corner of IE7</quote> as well the not-so-little address bar.
Regards.

 

[Bones]

Then someone changed it. IE 7 only comes with the MSN search by default.
Maybe the google gremlins did it?