# Why does Microsoft want me to use Internet Explorer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137 "2012-07-13T19:40:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/41 "2012-07-14T22:41:16Z")
> [@RearEchelon](#): > > Netscape still exists? According to the recommended browser settings on those pages it does. ---
**Author:** ![aaelghat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@aaelghat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaelghat)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/42 "2012-07-15T00:24:03Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > I still wonder what the purpose of giving away a free browser with no ads or other monetization was for the fifteen years between the release of IE and the release of Bing. In 1996 IE was included in Microsoft’s Internet Starter Kit for Windows 95, which retailed for 19.99 USD and included a how-to book and 30 days of Internet access on MSN among other features. The first Internet Explorer was derived from Spyglass Mosaic. The license to Microsoft provided Spyglass with a quarterly fee plus a percentage of Microsoft’s revenues for the software. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/43 "2012-07-15T00:31:51Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Then how do you explain my home page and default search repeatedly being set to Mi¢ro$oft without my consent, no matter how much I reset it to my own preferences? How is that behavior any different from malware? It is malware, but not from Microsoft. [Googling brought me here](http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/chrome/6_kbWeahXe0/kDUViSaCHXwJ), which leads onto[here.](http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/chrome/discuss-chrome/R4gHWcJdgH0) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/44 "2012-07-17T04:27:18Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Why would somebody not of them—or acting on their behalf and getting paid for it by them— want to hack for their benefit? One possible reason would be that it leads the uninformed to think that the problem is with Microsoft, thus leading you not to use their products. Another would be that they designed their malware to work with a specific search engine, so they want to redirect you there. Heck, it may even be a fake version of Bing–a phishing site. Finally, often times what alerts you to the existence of malware is not their intended function, but a mistake they made. Or two incompatible pieces of malware competing and thus causing a mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/45 "2012-07-17T07:56:06Z")
Thanks! Although my issue was with Mi¢ro$oft, not Yahoo. No more of this hijack, I desist from it, carry on as you were. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/46 "2012-07-17T10:31:58Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > IE also has certain proprietary features that are not in HTML standards and not supported by most other browsers but can provide a more enhanced surfing experience. > [@aaelghat](#): > > IE is also optimized for other “paid” web-based products like SharePoint and Office365. If IE is widely used by the public in their private lives, it’s one less barrier in convincing corporate executives that using IE in conjunction with Microsoft’s paid web-based technologies is a good idea. With all due respect, I am disgusted with ad-speak phrases like “enhanced surfing experience.” But I don’t like feeling that way, and I’d appreciate it if someone would convince me that I’m mistaken. You see, it is my opinion that **CookingWithGas** and **aaelghat** are saying pretty much the same thing in these quotes. The difference is that **aaelghat** is explaining that the advantage to me is the ability to use certain specific websites, while **CookingWithGas** is trying to make me believe that the entire surfing experience will be enhanced simply by switching browsers. I hate that kind of ad-speak. I wish the ads would be more specific about what I can expect to get out of them. A good example of the honesty that I like: [QuickTime Player User Guide for Mac - Apple Support](http://www.apple.com/quicktime/) says: “What is QuickTime? Have you ever wanted to watch a video or listen to audio online, only to discover your computer can’t play the file? That’s why you need QuickTime.” With this short intro, I understand that if I never access video or audio, then I don’t need QuickTime, and can have a fine “surfing experience” even without it. Or did I misunderstand what **CookingWithGas** posted? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/47 "2012-07-17T15:57:43Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > A good example of the honesty that I like: [QuickTime Player User Guide for Mac - Apple Support](http://www.apple.com/quicktime/) says: “What is QuickTime? Have you ever wanted to watch a video or listen to audio online, only to discover your computer can’t play the file? That’s why you need QuickTime.” With this short intro, I understand that if I never access video or audio, then I don’t need QuickTime, and can have a fine “surfing experience” even without it. Problem is, this is dishonest in different but similar way. QuickTime is one of may solutions to not being able to play content online. Apple is making it seem like you need Quicktime for audio and video, when it’s actually only needed for a few types of content specifically designed to work in Quicktime. And even that requirement can be eliminated if you know how. (In fairness, they are pretty much the only inline MIDI player in town. There are other older ones or ones designed for Linux, but they are often glitchy.) EDIT: Unless you use Internet Explorer. One of its features is hooking MIDIs into Windows Media Player, something the WMP plugin for other browsers doesn’t do, even though WMP can easily play MIDIs. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/48 "2012-07-18T02:11:21Z")
It may be something so simpla as Microsoft wants to implement some features to verify genuine copies and provide timely updates, and that function is built into IE but not your older version. Firefox is set as my default browser but can’t ditch IE because the auto-update uses it, as does much of my third-party software. It’s easier to write update software for one browser than three or four. If you’re running a program on Windows, it’s known that IE is installed on your machine. All parties that want to apply advanced features to contact the web want you to be using the latest version. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/49 "2012-07-18T16:22:40Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > Cite? I’ve followed the various MS legal whatnots at least passingly, and this doesn’t seem accurate. I don’t ever remember a version of Windows that couldn’t easily have other browsers installed (except the forthcoming Windows RT, which uses the **“Apple’s does it and nobody’s suing THEM” defense** ). Can you elaborate on the bit I bolded? To my knowledge, Apple has never done anything to stop me from using any browser I want to use. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/50 "2012-07-18T17:28:27Z")
What are the chances that, when you use IE, Microsoft collects info on where you go? If IE can give Windows info like “10% of the page views at site X are followed by visits to site Y” they would have a gold mine of sellable information on surfing habits. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/51 "2012-07-18T18:02:23Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Every so often, malware installed by Mi¢ro$oft tries to reset my Chrome home page to [msn.com](http://msn.com). Less frequently, but just as persistently, they try to reset my default search engine to Bing. I don’t know what they put on my machine to make that happen, but I’m betting it would be difficult to remove. [Computer tech/Computer shop owner hat on] There is no such malware built into your PC by microsoft. I would be far more inclined to suspect a manufacturer of putting something on due to a reciprocal agreement to default to a cobranded version of bing. Several major manufacturers do this. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/52 "2012-07-18T21:51:39Z")
> [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](#): > > What are the chances that, when you use IE, Microsoft collects info on where you go? If IE can give Windows info like “10% of the page views at site X are followed by visits to site Y” they would have a gold mine of sellable information on surfing habits. All browsers do this by default. That’s how companies like Google collect advertising money. Sites can also look at all of the other cookies that you’ve collected, not just the last site you visited. This helps them determine who their competitors are, if they’re hitting the right segment of the market, and what other sites they should advertise on/partner with. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/53 "2012-07-18T21:58:43Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > [Computer tech/Computer shop owner hat on] > > There is no such malware built into your PC by microsoft. I would be far more inclined to suspect a manufacturer of putting something on due to a reciprocal agreement to default to a cobranded version of bing. Several major manufacturers do this. But what about Mi¢ro$oft? ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/54 "2012-07-18T22:07:07Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > See? It’s nothing sinister, it’s just that Microsoft wants your eyeballs. :eek: They cannot have my eyeballs or any other balls I might have on my person! ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/55 "2012-07-18T22:20:45Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > All browsers do this [monitor your browsing --Punoqllads] by default. Cite? > [@](#): > > That’s how companies like Google collect advertising money. Chrome most definitely does not do that. > [@](#): > > Sites can also look at all of the other cookies that you’ve collected, not just the last site you visited. No, cookies have a domain associated with them. Websites outside of that domain do not get to see those cookies. > [@](#): > > This helps them determine who their competitors are, if they’re hitting the right segment of the market, and what other sites they should advertise on/partner with. I believe that you are confusing browser technology with leadback businesses. There are third-party businesses that contract with websites to embed single-pixel images into some or all pages on that website. By making this pixel the same color as the background, the user doesn’t see the image, but because the image is there, the user’s computer connects to the third-party’s website. By contracting with multiple websites, and by knowing the interests those websites are relevant to (e.g., news or sports or families), they can start to get a user profile on that cookie. But the user’s browser never shows that cookie to any website outside of the third-party’s domain. The only way for multiple websites to see the same cookie is for the cookie to be set to allow cross-domain viewing, but most browsers by default reject such cookies since they are inherently insecure. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/56 "2012-07-19T02:56:00Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > All browsers do this by default. That’s how companies like Google collect advertising money. Sites can also look at all of the other cookies that you’ve collected, not just the last site you visited. This helps them determine who their competitors are, if they’re hitting the right segment of the market, and what other sites they should advertise on/partner with. This is incorrect, googles money comes from encoded links, googles computers can tell when you click on a google ad because that generates a request for information stored on googles computer. Google then knows that someone clicked on “AD FOR PRODUCT X” ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/57 "2012-07-19T02:57:02Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > But what about Mi¢ro$oft? Slaps **Yoyodyne** with a large trout. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/58 "2012-07-19T15:49:55Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > No, cookies have a domain associated with them. Websites outside of that domain do not get to see those cookies. Cookie security is a bit complicated. Cookies are supposed to be only retrievable by the associated domain, but crap happens. IE several years ago had a bug for quite a long time, over several versions, that allowed any web site to read any of the other site’s cookies. And it was exploited. Which was a problem with plain text cookes that had email address, logins, CC numbers, etc. in them. This is why plain text cookies containing private info still outrage people. There’s always bugs in browsers, every now and then a cookie reading bug is found. Eeech. Also, the concept of domain gets blurred when a dozen domains get their cookies added to your machine when you visit a page. And each of those companies can and do share their cookie info with others, and then you visit a second unrelated page and one of the previous sites also has a cookie on this site and now they can combine a bunch of info by sharing data with the 2nd site’s partners. They aren’t reading the cookie directly, but they are effectively doing the same thing. So, you can be picky and say cookies are limited to a domain and expose your data to who knows who, or you can just assume that there is basically no reliable security with cookies and practice safe and sane web surfing. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/59 "2012-07-20T00:47:54Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Can you elaborate on the bit I bolded? To my knowledge, Apple has never done anything to stop me from using any browser I want to use. Apple’s iOS does not allow you to use other browsers. Or, to be more precise, Apple won’t add them to the app store. Any browser you download for iOS still uses Safari, and just brands it differently. And prevents them from using their much faster JavaScript engine. That said, as far as I know, Windows RT will allow other Metro browsers–it’s just that none exist yet. They may not allow them in the Store, but Windows tablets are not to my knowledge locked to using only the Store to install applications. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137/60 "2012-07-20T03:24:36Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Apple’s iOS does not allow you to use other browsers. Or, to be more precise, Apple won’t add them to the app store. Any browser you download for iOS still uses Safari, and just brands it differently. And prevents them from using their much faster JavaScript engine. Ah, thanks. I’m a Mac user, but don’t own an iPhone or iPad, so I wasn’t aware of the restriction there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-microsoft-want-me-to-use-internet-explorer/628137.md?page=4)