Dell: No plans for Firefox in Australia

Dell's Australian operation has ruled out following the lead of its British counterpart in the near future and shipping the Mozilla Firefox Web browser on computers.

"There are currently no plans to ship Firefox on desktops or notebooks in Dell Asia Pacific at this time," a spokesperson for the PC manufacturer told ZDNet Australia last week.

The spokesperson was responding to a Firefox developer's confirmation of reports that Dell has started including Firefox with its desktop machines in the United Kingdom.

"It's true that Firefox is bundled with Dell in the UK," wrote Firefox co-creator Blake Ross on his blog.

Dell's move is a blow to Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, which until recently has been generally the only option shipped with Windows-based desktop PCs by the major desktop suppliers.

It follows Hewlett-Packard's October confirmation it would start shipping Netscape's Web browser--which is based on Firefox but can also use IE's page rendering engine--on new consumer PCs and notebooks starting early 2006.

Microsoft's IE is by far the most-used Web browser, but smaller players have been pecking at its market share. Firefox has a loyal following, and the recent release of version 1.5 was one of the most hotly anticipated software downloads this year.

Opera Software is also making noise, announcing earlier this year that it will strip the ads out of the free version of its browser.

Renai LeMay of ZDNet Australia reported from Sydney. News.com's Joris Evers contributed to this report.

[tripqzon]

Dell and Firefox

This is not meant only to Dell, but I think it's ashame that pc makers like Dell have not been shipping all their newer pc's with an alternate browser such as Firefox. When most people buy their fist pc, or even replace an existing pc, they don't realize that they have an the option to use another browser. They think that IE(Internet Horror) is the only game in town. Is it the pc makers choice or does Microsoft have some kind of hold on them?
I can tell you that every person I have switched over to Firefox does not miss IE at all. They tell me that their pc's run better, and best of all, pop-ups and spyware virtually disappear.
PC makers could make a significant decrease in the number of service calls they receive and decrease the number of spyware, malware, etc their customers get on their pc's by encouraging them to NOT USE IE.

[BlinkMM182]

I disagree...

...in that pre-bundled PCs come with wayy to much **** already. Why not bundle Opera or something else too? Why not bundle 9 media players 4 Office Applications, 3 Virus solutions, and 7 IM clients. Don't get me wrong, I love firefox...but where does it end?
Why would I want a manufactorer to decide for me what apps are best for me? Keep your hands off my PC! It must explain why when I get new computers it comes with an unpartitioned HD.

NEXT!

[rpms]

Friends don't advise friends to abandon Windows Update

Paul Cyr writes, "I can tell you that every person I have switched over to Firefox does not miss IE at all." I bet your friends have fun trying to access Windows Update with Firefox.

It makes sense for PC manufacturers to bundle a properly-integrated and fully-supported Web browser with their PCs.

Paul Marcelin-Sampson
Santa Cruz, California, USA

[BMR777]

Happy Medium

I agree that PC OEM's bundle way too much on new PCs as it is. I personally prefer a new PC with nothing but Windows XP on it. What they SHOULD do is ship the PC with just Windows installed, and include all of the free trials and extras on a seperate CD, so the user can pick and choose which trials and apps they want, and which ones they would rather not have. So then the user could choose to install FireFox. The CD could also clearly state the benefits of FireFox.

Its a shame that some OEMs are actually paid to install all of that bloatware!

As long as PCs run Windows, IE will be the dominant Windows browser. Stupid people will do stupid things, like use IE. :-)

Ignorant Users Use IE.
FireFox - The Browser of Pros.
BMR777

[VI Joker]

Here, here

While I have wiped many of computers and just started with a fresh XP install, it should be up to each consumer to choose what they want. If they do not know what it is most will either ask someone who knows or do research. OEMs should not take it upon themselves to descide what is good for the consumer. Sending users CDs with their computer usually ends up in call to tech support. The best thing is for them to make the choice prior to purchase. Browser, media player, office suite, anti-virus, etc. should be as interchangable as a 20 or 40GB hard drive.

[just_some_guy]

What's at stake?

Most users couldn't care less about the brand of the browser - they care about the web sites, not the web browser. The browser is just a tool to get there, so only the techno-geeks make a fuss about it.

I use Firefox (ok, I'm a techno-geek), but I also use Internet Explorer. Then again, I also use Windows, MacOS, and Linux. I never understood the "switch" idea - why would I forget how to use the others?

What's really at stake? If all Windows users started using Firefox today, so what? There was a time when Microsoft might have tried to control the web, by introducing proprietary things in the browser, but the market (web site developers) has already rejected that. The vast majority of websites work just fine in Firefox already. What else is at stake?

From Dell's perspective, more configuration options means more customer support headaches.

[GonzalezRick]

Completely Agree

You're right in just about everything. Nobody should take such a hard position, just be fair. Everything has it's place. Firefox is making progress in the browsers market share, that's great, but you need to remember what most people think: "I just want to surf the web". That's about 90% of the people, so if Dell is helping promote Firefox, that's good too.
But in the end, I think they (Dell) are just jumping in the open-source wave.

[rmccabe916]

Opera Is Already AD-FREE!!

The end of the story is incorrect because Opera already got rid of its ads. There needs to be a correction made.

[tripqzon]

IE

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like IE or Microsoft. It's just that IE is the biggest target on the web. Why would you want to subject yourself to the headaches of constant attacks from every direction.

As far as sites not working with firefox or any other alternate browser, that site either requires Active-X or was poorly coded. I have not run into many sites that don't work with Firefox, and if they don't, oh well, I'll go elsewhere to find what I need.

[Earl Benser]

Good position...

You shouldn't dislike IE or MS, but you also shouldn't use MS
products.

Okay, I can live with that. IE, and OE and ActiveX, are history
already. XP is the last OS I use in the WIndows sequence. I do like
MS hardware, eg., keyboards and mice, especially the wireless
versions. MS has apparently done that design properly.

[Gayle Edwards]

Dell gets paid to include the Extraneous CRAP...

Dell adds all the "CRAP" because they usually make money from its inclusion. Furthermore, Dells "installation/repair" disks include all the "crap" as part of a "basic installation". In fact, a typical-consumer cannot have a CLEAN and LEGAL production-Dell without buying a full-priced retail-copy of an OS, wiping the hard-drive, and installing -just the software they want- after purchase. This IS outside of most peoples comfort-zone.

I like the idea of keeping the "extras" separate, but then Dell wouldnt get paid as much, and Microsofts "integration" precludes dropping many of Microsofts-products, no matter how much consumers want alternatives, ...so I guess we can forget that.

And, Dell testified, in the famous "Anti-Trust" trial that Microsofts contracts specifically forbid Dell from changing/deleting/adding certain features/elements that both Dell, and customers, wanted. Furthermore, some people seem to forget that Microsoft, in fact, tried to convince people that it was actually "illegal" to remove the original "OEM OS" from their own computers.

Now that such "contracts" are, again, made behind "closed-doors", you have to wonder how much Dells, and customers, wishes really matter.

As to the "integrated browser", that was found to have been nothing more than an anti-competitive charade perpetrated by Microsoft, from the very beginning. And, we have ALL been paying for that particular, unethical, security and design nightmare... ever since, ...though, Microsoft, with their latest version of "IE" has finally, apparently, admitted what a bad idea such close "integration" was.

But, in my opinion, the reality is that the best thing Dell could do for consumers IS to load such, widely-accepted, alternatives to Microsofts, illegally-maintained, "Monopoly" components and let "consumers" decide... unless you are actually advocating that Microsofts forcibly-imposed, self-interested, and often inferior, "standards" really are a good thing for "consumers".

Frankly, Im for "competition", and that means having a REALISTIC opportunity for "choice" and "comparison". When someone else makes that choice for you, for their own reasons, the "consumer" usually loses.

[Hitokiri Batusai]

DELL is already using Firefox in their own network!!!

I'm a Sales Supervisor for the US Home Sales Division and every user I've upgraded to Firefox has also seen a tremendous decrease in spyware, viruses, trojans, etc...I can tell you that every person I have switched over to Firefox doesn't miss IE at all. They tell me that their pc's run better and best of all; pop-ups and spyware virtually disappear.
We could make a significant decrease in the number of service calls we receive. By decreasing the number of virus, spyware, software issues our customers get on their pc's by encouraging them to "NOT USE IE".

[John Kuzak]

closed-doors

http://www.analogstereo.com/revox_service_manuals.htm

[ipernar]

replay

"I can tell you that every person I have switched over to Firefox does not miss IE at all."

tell me about it...:) Since i have firefox, there is no more browser hijackers, no more spyware, no more pop ups, no more pages opening it selfes.... No more trash, world is nicer since IE is not in town any more....
Only one quest... why all laptops are made with windouz preinstalled???

[tripqzon]

Replay II

My son came to me this morning and told me that he had to use IE. He did a scan of his system before ans after and he had 8 pieces of spyware on his system after he used it.
Need I say more.

[208774626618253979477959487856]

go firefox!

http://www.analogstereo.com/ford_escort_owners_manual.htm