Windows XP and Vista to get European browser choice too.
Earlier this week we found out about Microsoft's proposal to the EU to provide a "ballot screen" for those installing Windows 7 to choose which browser, if any, will be installed on the system. This was presented as a possible solution for the EU's antitrust investigation into Microsoft's practices surrounding the bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows.
According to information dug up by Ars Technica, Microsoft will soon offer current users of Windows XP and Vista the same type of choice to install browsers other than Internet Explorer 8.
The browser ballot program is proposed as "Important" or "High Priority" update for Windows XP and Vista that will run for users who have IE installed and set as the default browser. From there, users will get the option of installing other browsers from a Microsoft-maintained website.
Besides the obvious players of Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Opera, the ballot screen will reportedly also include other Windows browsers with a usage share of at least 0.5 percent in the European Economic Area (for a total of up to ten different browsers).
This is still in the proposal stage as the European Union has yet to decide whether or not this is satisfactory, but we'll keep you posted.

Ideally I would want to see about 3 mayor OSs out there and about 3 mayor browsers (about 25% share each, with other more specialised ones taking up the other 25%), that way people would know there is a choice but without having too many to choose from and not being able to decide, and it would also provide a good amout of competitiveness in the market.
But since I would not want to live in a communist/nationalist country I really think that if it's at all possible leave it to the public/companies.
You can only legally have osx on macs, so it has dominat position in the macintosh market. That means same should apply.
"Have a Windows application you need to use once in a while? No problem. Every new Mac lets you install Windows XP and Vista"
No , you just have to pay apple tax for that
In 5 years time we'll all be wishing the EU had stomped on the MS/Yahoo link at the start. Another 5 years and they may get a smack on the hand for continuing to behave as a predatory monopoly.
Imagine during the install you are asked to select your favourite from 12 calculators, 35 notepads, 88 paint programs, 134 solitaires - all because other freeware vendors were allowed to do the same.
Here's a conversation between the EU, MS and the customer ...
EU - "You will include alternative versions of all this list of stuff in your OS"
MS - "You are having a giggle right? There's over 12,000,000 programs here"
EU - "Yes, each one has a legitimate claim to be included because it's something you do already"
MS - "Have you any idea how much that will cost"
EU - "About a billion dollars in fines unless you shape up sonny"
MS - "Whatever you say Jack, here's your library of disks"
Customer - "Jeebus H Christ, this new Windows comes on 25 Blu-Ray disks"
MS - "An engineering feat of genius to compress it that small"
Customer - "After decompressing and installing it's over 2000Gb and my machine chugs like a bitch"
EU - "Yes, but you have the ultimate choice to pick whatever you want"
Customer - "Can't I choose to have all this crap elsewhere to download?"
EU - "No, you can't, shut up and do as you are told"
LMFAO dude. Thanks for that.
There's an inherent contradiction in "free market capitalism". In order to keep the markets free, you need laws to prevent monopolies. Unfortunately the U.S. regulators under Regan and Bush failed to do their duty back when M$ was becoming a monopoly. So stop complaining about the EU. They're just trying to keep the markets somewhat free.
"and in that case, can you do the same on your pc and put there mac osx?
No , you just have to pay apple tax for that"
I couldn't agree more, it's unethical that Apple should be able to dictate to that extent what users can do with a legally purchased installation disc.