Software vendors (Acer, HP etc..) will most likely install an open source web browser in any shop bought computer.

Indeed, in fact they'll probably install IE8, firefox, and something else, so the end result for the consumer won't be all that different.

Although I'm basically pro-regulation (that is, I think governments should be able to act on behalf of consumers when they're being given a raw deal), the EU is going overboard with this. Microsoft is not such a terrible ogre and doesn't make it difficult for me to use alternatives to its own software.

OK, so I'm a nerd and Joe or Jane Blow doesn't know that well why one browser is better than another or how they might benefit. But I don't see how that's Microsoft's fault, nor do I see how they've done ~$1.5 billion of damage to consumers. Is everyone in the EU $3 worse off because of IE? Really? I can think of a LOT of businesses that have done a lot more damage - to the environment, indirectly to people's health, and so forth - than Microsoft has.

(long rumination on anti-trust regulation deleted, but) it rather disturbs me that the two biggest fines levied for supposed malfeasance have both been on computer corporations, who do more than most industries to democratize innovation and economic opportunity. I feel the EU is just demanding these big fines because the companies can pay, rather than because of real injury they have created.

A typical American cellphone contract is far more economically punishing than the lost productivity due to having to install a non-IE browser by your own damn self.

It is exactly the same approach as used on other monopolists, even many that have not been shown to have abused their monopoly: e.g. imposing local loop unbundling on incumbent telcos.

A reasonable point, but whereas you can go out and buy a new computer or operating system tomorrow, you can't just wire your house up to a different telco. Infrastructure is complicated. If private enterprise were the easy answer people suggest, surely we'd all be enjoying ultra-high speed fiber broadband by now.

Whay is that not anti-trust violation?

What if they install IE ?

I'm assuming Windows still ships with the command-line FTP client, and ftp.mozilla.org works just as well as it ever did...

Nope. Vista killed that off, you now have to manually install it from the DVD.

You do not need command line, windows explorer can open ftp address.

Seriously? Good luck explaining to my 80-something year old Granddad how to connect to an FTP server through the command line.

I suspect they will include some mechanism that makes it easy to get IE8 (a one-click-download icon on the desktop, for example).

Download it somewhere else first, then you have many choices for transferring it over. USB drive, network share drive, dropbox, etc.

You'll probably be able to just use an http address in the windows explorer, or failing that you can use the built-in PowerShell. e.g. http://bartdesmet.net/blogs/bart/archive/2006/11/25/PowerShe...

Wtf? Are you seriously suggesting that Windows 7 will ship without any browser? Do you really believe that that is possible? Really?

Well that is how they interpreted the court orders. The court says they meant MS should present a choice, though. Which I consider madness: why force a company to ship the products of it's competitors???

In Europe it won't ship with IE: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8096701.stm

Well MS have said they won't bundle it, but apparently this isn't good enough for the EU, who want them to include competitors' browsers - although which ones? Can I sue if they don't include browlzilla? I wouldn't use IE if you paid me but I support Redmond on this one, they've done enough.

There is a nice API urldownloadtofile - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms775123(VS.85).aspx

If you have Visual Studio by any chance, you can try that...

If there is Windows Scripting Host installed with Windows 7 by default, you can try exploring that too... maybe some createobject()s will help

Then why not boot into a live Ubuntu and get firefox for windows, reboot and have fun surfing the net

If you have an internet connection and there is no browser in your machine, here is how you can do it.

   1. Open notepad
   2. File >> Open
   3. Giv the address "http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/products/download.html?product=firefox-3.0.11&os=wi n&lang=en-US

" 4. After the file is open, save the file as firefox_setup.exe

Without any browser, how can I remember that long URL, should I write it down from other computer and type all that manually?

Haha this reminds me that funny "use case" of IE: "downloading Firefox"

http://www.geekherocomic.com/2009/06/01/monopoly/

http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1265933&cid=28303943 on how to use FTP in windows command line.

Maybe they should include IE6 so it's possible to download an actual browser with it:)

telnet on port 80.

Starting with Vista, Windows has not shipped with its telnet client installed.

I didn't do anything special to have telnet working on my Vista install. Maybe this is an edition thing?

Use wget (http://pages.interlog.com/~tcharron/wgetwin.html)

How do you download that without a browser? Surely it's the same problem as downloading Firefox?