I think the EU is a bit behind the times here. There has been strong competition (and the resulting innovation) in the browser market for several years now. And it happened due to Microsoft resting on their laurels, allowing the open source community (and companies like Apple) to catch up. No government action was required, just human laziness.
And for those of us who use/need more than one Browser nothing really changes, as there you probably can choose only one.
I think Mozilla woman has one point. Safari really sucks on windows. If you only count the useful features (unlike stupid ressource hogs like cover flow) it is as good as Chrome. The Latte also offers decent speed in everything. Safari renders fast but that is about it, and every modern Browser renders fast enough. On my older machine the starting up part and switching tabs, using top sites is in Safari horrible to the point of being significantly worse than any other Browser. The only Browser that sometimes behaves worse is Firefox with either a Bug or too many big plug-ins.
And for those who can't read marketshare stats. Safari on Win+Mac is not the marketshare you should take.
Given a vertical alphabetical list, like in an election ballot, then being first may have some advantage.
Given a smorgasbord selection like this with large logos I think people will gravitate first to the logo most familiar to them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by marcuf95
Based on what the ballot looks like I would guess that Google Chrome would get the most picks, as Google is the most recognizable brand name shown on the ballot. Everyone already thinks of Google as being synonymous with web search anyway. How many non-geeks know of Safari, FireFox, or Opera anyway?
Agree to all of the above... especially Google. Everyone knows it and the logo, and the non-tech older people will absolutely say,"Why of course I need Google". Chrome will be their "default" browser, but not necessarily their "choice".
I use Google Chrome on my Windows machine but I know that I'll still have to install IE when I upgrade to Windows 7. There's still way too many websites out there that will only work properly in IE (the latest example I've come across is part of Electronic Art's website).
This is stupid, why is apparently everybody suggesting users are looking through that list from left to right as if it was text? These are logos, so people will probably look at the middle first, at the borders last, or at the logos they recognize. That also means Opera has got the spot they deserve for their crappy product, last in list, rightmost, most unrecognized logo and brand
This is stupid, why is apparently everybody suggesting users are looking through that list from left to right as if it was text? These are logos, so people will probably look at the middle first, at the borders last, or at the logos they recognize. That also means Opera has got the spot they deserve for their crappy product, last in list, rightmost, most unrecognized logo and brand
Stupid indeed. Everyone's a self appointed perceptual psychologist all of a sudden. I suppose all the peoples in the world that read from right to left are picking Opera! I agree with you, my eyes went first to the center but that's just me and I hate IE
Leave it to the EU to make Windows even more needlessly complicated than it needs to be. I'm convinced that micro-regulation will always benefit the status quo anyway.
If list by product name, Safari goes to the end but IE is still the middle.
Chrome
Firefox
Internet Explorer
Opera
Safari
I'm guessing that we give Microsoft oh about 1 month or so before the EU slaps some with a complaint saying it was unfair their browser happen to be in the middle.
Microsoft can't and won't win. They should've just said to hell with the EU. No browsers for you. Figure out how to get it yourself.
From a design standpoint, Apple's Safari is last or second to last in terms of prime spots, with IE8 being the in the prime spot (Since its in the center) Even though we read right to left, we focus on the center of the page in terms of graphics.
Though personally, I think that this whole "Safari is first!" is extremely trivial and pointless. All the major browsers are on that page.
Secondly, I really hope the EU makes things equal and forces Apple to do the same thing on their next OS release.
Secondly, I really hope the EU makes things equal and forces Apple to do the same thing on their next OS release.
Why? Fairness does not equal everything and everyone being ground down to sameness.
The last time I bought a Mac (my aging but trusty G4) it came preloaded with Safari and Opera. At the time Explorer no longer existed for Mac, Chrome was yet to be, and about Firefox, I'm not sure. So Apple was already ahead in the EU's curve.
Also, Safari is standards compliant. The big problem with Explorer is that Microsoft ignores uniform standards and creates their own (often proprietary) standards. Microsoft's market dominance then tends to make their standards into de facto standards, which in turn perpetuates their dominance. This is likely the real issue.
Microsoft can't and won't win. They should've just said to hell with the EU. No browsers for you. Figure out how to get it yourself.
Yeah, down with the EU and their anti-monopolystic viewpoints! Their argument is sound, and it comes about more so because IE sucks so bad more than anything else. If IE was on par with other browsers developing for it would work nice with other browsers, so Microsoft are paying the price for not looking after their corner.
Comments
I think Mozilla woman has one point. Safari really sucks on windows. If you only count the useful features (unlike stupid ressource hogs like cover flow) it is as good as Chrome. The Latte also offers decent speed in everything. Safari renders fast but that is about it, and every modern Browser renders fast enough. On my older machine the starting up part and switching tabs, using top sites is in Safari horrible to the point of being significantly worse than any other Browser. The only Browser that sometimes behaves worse is Firefox with either a Bug or too many big plug-ins.
And for those who can't read marketshare stats. Safari on Win+Mac is not the marketshare you should take.
Given a vertical alphabetical list, like in an election ballot, then being first may have some advantage.
Given a smorgasbord selection like this with large logos I think people will gravitate first to the logo most familiar to them.
Based on what the ballot looks like I would guess that Google Chrome would get the most picks, as Google is the most recognizable brand name shown on the ballot. Everyone already thinks of Google as being synonymous with web search anyway. How many non-geeks know of Safari, FireFox, or Opera anyway?
Agree to all of the above... especially Google. Everyone knows it and the logo, and the non-tech older people will absolutely say,"Why of course I need Google". Chrome will be their "default" browser, but not necessarily their "choice".
This is stupid, why is apparently everybody suggesting users are looking through that list from left to right as if it was text? These are logos, so people will probably look at the middle first, at the borders last, or at the logos they recognize. That also means Opera has got the spot they deserve for their crappy product, last in list, rightmost, most unrecognized logo and brand
Stupid indeed. Everyone's a self appointed perceptual psychologist all of a sudden. I suppose all the peoples in the world that read from right to left are picking Opera! I agree with you, my eyes went first to the center but that's just me and I hate IE
As far as the whining goes, randomize it.
Chrome
Firefox
Internet Explorer
Opera
Safari
I'm guessing that we give Microsoft oh about 1 month or so before the EU slaps some with a complaint saying it was unfair their browser happen to be in the middle.
Microsoft can't and won't win. They should've just said to hell with the EU. No browsers for you. Figure out how to get it yourself.
Though personally, I think that this whole "Safari is first!" is extremely trivial and pointless. All the major browsers are on that page.
Secondly, I really hope the EU makes things equal and forces Apple to do the same thing on their next OS release.
Secondly, I really hope the EU makes things equal and forces Apple to do the same thing on their next OS release.
And Linux too? Get ready for some serious whining about forcing nasty proprietary apps onto Linux.
i don't use Firefox much and I'm inclined to use it far less now.
Secondly, I really hope the EU makes things equal and forces Apple to do the same thing on their next OS release.
Why? Fairness does not equal everything and everyone being ground down to sameness.
The last time I bought a Mac (my aging but trusty G4) it came preloaded with Safari and Opera. At the time Explorer no longer existed for Mac, Chrome was yet to be, and about Firefox, I'm not sure. So Apple was already ahead in the EU's curve.
Also, Safari is standards compliant. The big problem with Explorer is that Microsoft ignores uniform standards and creates their own (often proprietary) standards. Microsoft's market dominance then tends to make their standards into de facto standards, which in turn perpetuates their dominance. This is likely the real issue.
Microsoft can't and won't win. They should've just said to hell with the EU. No browsers for you. Figure out how to get it yourself.
Yeah, down with the EU and their anti-monopolystic viewpoints! Their argument is sound, and it comes about more so because IE sucks so bad more than anything else. If IE was on par with other browsers developing for it would work nice with other browsers, so Microsoft are paying the price for not looking after their corner.