From our front-page news:
Firefox is simple, while IE is not (ok, that's a matter of opinion). You download and install Firefox without much of an issue. At best, it will inconvenience you with regards to importing Internet Explorer bookmarks. IE7 on the other hand, requires you go through the hassle of validating your Windows installation before it can be used. Firefox's reflection on what simple should be, might just be rubbing off on the folks at Redmond. Nah, it's all about market-share.
According to Ars Technica, Microsoft is dropping the WGA check from IE7 in an attempt to increase its usage. This should mean, technically, that if you are using an non-legit version of Windows, you should have no problem using their latest browser. Will this move actually help them gain the additional piece of the userbase they are looking for? Hard to say, but I'm sure many are going to be glad to see the WGA check gone, even those with legal copies of the OS. Now if WGA could be dropped entirely... oh, and activation while they are at it.
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More worrying for Microsoft is the fact that IE7's share appears to be leveling off at between 20 to 27 percent, despite strong growth after it was initially released in 2006. Microsoft does still have the advantage of having IE 7 bundled with every new computer running Windows Vista, so it will certainly become more widely used in the future, but the company has apparently decided that short term market share is more important than piracy checks.
Source: Ars Technica
According to Ars Technica, Microsoft is dropping the WGA check from IE7 in an attempt to increase its usage. This should mean, technically, that if you are using an non-legit version of Windows, you should have no problem using their latest browser. Will this move actually help them gain the additional piece of the userbase they are looking for? Hard to say, but I'm sure many are going to be glad to see the WGA check gone, even those with legal copies of the OS. Now if WGA could be dropped entirely... oh, and activation while they are at it.
<table align="center"><tbody><tr><td>
More worrying for Microsoft is the fact that IE7's share appears to be leveling off at between 20 to 27 percent, despite strong growth after it was initially released in 2006. Microsoft does still have the advantage of having IE 7 bundled with every new computer running Windows Vista, so it will certainly become more widely used in the future, but the company has apparently decided that short term market share is more important than piracy checks.
Source: Ars Technica