Which is kind of funny, because I was saying the same thing three years ago when other browser vendors started crying like little bitches about the unfair advantage.

Ho, caught you off guard, huh? You were sure I was ready to pounce upon the Evil Empire for their underhanded tactics? No, ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to call the EU what it is. An easily manipulated bunch of whiny pantywaists that have had a hard-on for the company for quite some time now.

Is the browser bound with the operating system? Yes it is. It is because it’s made by the same company. Kia doesn’t offer me a choice of other brands of radios. Sam’s Club doesn’t offer me Costco brand peanuts. The theater doesn’t allow me to bring my own popcorn. Companies that build a product that fits inside of another product that they also build should be expected to be packaged. They’re a commercial enterprise. Their job is to sell their products.

It’s stated that Microsoft has made it impossible to use another browser in their operating system, locking users into IE. I’ve got three computers in the room that I’m typing this in that prove otherwise. I installed Windows on all three and immediately plugged a USB stick into it that contained Clamwin, Firefox 3, AdAware, HijackThis!, Spybot S&D as well as some other apps immediately after install. Two of those computers have been up for over a year and have never had IE opened on them.

My point is simply this. You don’t have to use IE and it’s basic economic principle that Microsoft is going to want you to use a Microsoft product inside another Microsoft product. They’re not bad guys for doing that.

The other shit they do, well that makes them bad guys.