June 15th, 2009

Windows enthusiasts launch 'Boycott Opera' campaign

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:20 am

Categories: Channel, Corporate strategy, Internet Explorer, Legal, OEMs, Resellers, System builders, Windows 7, Windows client

Tags: Opera Software, Antitrust, Boycott, Microsoft Corp., Web Browser, JCXP.Net Windows Enthusiast Site, Web Browsers, Microsoft Windows, Corporate Law, Internet

The JCXP.Net Windows enthusiast site has launched a “Boycott Opera” campaign aimed at users who are unhappy over Opera’s antitrust suit against Microsoft.

It was Opera’s 2007 antitrust complaint that mushroomed into the current antitrust case in the European Union over Microsoft’s browser-bundling policies.

JCXP announced its boycott campaign on June 12. In a blog post, JCXP Managing Editor David Taraso announced the proposed boycott, attributing it to Opera’s decision to sue Microsoft for antitrust. He said:

“Today, we are proposing a complete boycott of all Opera software.

“This is absolutely nothing more than a company, who can’t legitimately gain market share, trying to squeeze their unpopular browser onto Windows systems.Opera is simply upset because their browser is dead last in market share, and has already been surpassed by the recently released Google Chrome browser and Apple’s Safari browser for Windows.”

In a second post, on June 14, Taraso spelled out more directly the reasons he is pushing the boycott:

“I would like to make one thing clear though. I don’t hate Opera and I don’t hate their browser (Opera 9 was my main browser for most of 2008). Opera has introduced many fantastic innovations to the browser market over the years, and I applaud them for that. But I don’t agree with what they are trying to do here. I definitely agree that Opera should have a larger market share, but not by forcing Microsoft to advertise their product in Windows.”

Last week, word was circulating that the European Commission was considering as one remedy in the case the inclusion by PC makers of a “ballot screen” that would require users to choose a browser for their Windows PCs at startup. Microsoft, trying to head off the ballot-screen remedy, announced last week plans to ship Windows 7 in European without Internet Explorer 8 bundled into it. Opera officials said they considered Microsoft’s Windows 7 E plan to be an inadequate response to their concerns.

What’s your take? Is an Opera boycott the best way for those who believe Microsoft should be allowed to integrate IE into Windows to make their views known?