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For example, "links clicked on within the Windows Mail app will open in Microsoft Edge" regardless of any 'default/preferred browser' setting. Sounds like a pre
by oneeyedpigeon 9y ago
For example, "links clicked on within the Windows Mail app will open in Microsoft Edge" regardless of any 'default/preferred browser' setting. Sounds like a pretty hostile user experience, to me.
- walterbell 9y agoIt is hostile. Sadly, iOS does this with Mobile Safari.
- seba_dos1 9y agoiOS is on a completely another level of lockdown, as you can't have third party browsers at all there, only UI wrappers on Apple provided webview widgets.
- walterbell 9y agoEven those wrappers can be useful, e.g. to isolate identity management. But even those wrappers are not selectable at the OS level, only within apps that allow you to choose the default browser/wrapper for opening links.
- sebazzz 9y agoNo, dynamic code execution is not allowed which is pretty useful if you want a performant javascript experience.
- TwoNineA 9y agoI didn't know you could change your default browser on iOS.
- exelius 9y agoYou can install other browsers, but the page rendering must be done by Apple’s iOS system version of WebKit. Basically it’s only good for things like bookmark / history syncing.
- TwoNineA 9y agoI know, I was pointing out waterbell's silly argument.
- walterbell 9y agoI'm referring specifically to the Mail app on iOS. Other apps, e.g. Wire for replacing iMessage and Mail, will let you choose which browser will open links.
- majormajor 9y agoRight, and even then, Apple isn't going to help you at all: links from other apps won't open in Firefox, so you jump through hoops to try to get your Firefox bookmark/history syncing support... Unfortunately people are better at copying Apple on the annoying shit like this than at the stuff they're actually really good at.
- hbosch 9y agoYou can't, but you can change your default browser in many apps (such as Gmail).
- oneeyedpigeon 9y agoI think it's bad there, too, but it's maybe a slightly different situation: iOS has never pretended to be anything other than a very locked-down walled garden; Windows is supposed to add bit more flexibility. If iOS actually allows other browsers to be installed, then it's made some kind of 'progress', but Windows is moving in the other direction: there's a pretty undesirable average that they both seem to be heading for whereby you can install alternative applications, but the OS will make it much harder for you if you do.
- Brendinooo 9y agoGmail does this a lot in the iOS app too - I feel like I'm always telling it to remember my choice of Safari over Chrome. It also links addresses to Google Maps instead of Apple maps without even giving you an option.
- turtlebits 9y agoYes, the Google Inbox iOS app never remembers your browser setting, even when you tell it to.
- fhood 9y agoSafari doesn't come with several tons of baggage though. It might be unfair, but as a result of IE I find it very difficult to trust a Microsoft browser.
- tinus_hn 9y agoNo, iOS doesn’t pretend you can choose the default browser.
- Rjevski 9y agoOn the other hand, iOS (and early Android) gets a pass as they never had the concept of "default browser" to begin with. Windows had this concept for a while (and still has) and is just intentionally ignoring it - that's definitely hostile.
- AmVess 9y agoIt is pretty hostile, and is rather amazing that Microsoft has learned nothing since the Windows 95/IE days and the shenanigans they used to pull.
- incompatible 9y agoIn the Windows 95/IE days they were stopped by government antitrust action, in the US and EU. I suppose the EU is still willing to look into such things. Windows users may complain about it, but they remain a largely captive customer base, as far as I know. Especially organisations. They rarely consider switching to a different OS, regardless of what Microsoft does.
- wycy 9y agoThis tactic seems like a double-edged sword. I would think for many people, this behavior would annoy and dissuade them from continuing to use Windows Mail.
- curt15 9y agoDo people actually use Windows Mail?
- tonyedgecombe 9y agoProbably more than use Edge.
- AndrewGaspar 9y agoIt's actually a pretty serviceable app, at least for my personal mail. I generally want something heavier weight, like Outlook, for work mail, though.
- decebalus1 9y agoIt is hostile. Sadly, stock Android does this with Chrome in Google now and the home screen.
- skykooler 9y agoGoogle Now doesn't actually open Chrome, as far as I can tell; it opens an internal webview which acts like Chrome but does not appear to share things like the list of tabs etc.
- seba_dos1 9y agoIsn't it actually using the custom tab API? If so, it can be (and is) implemented by other browsers too.
- majormajor 9y agoSweet, thanks to MS joining Apple we can debate philosophical questions like "is an ignored preference better than no option to set a preference." :| Even third party apps that build in their own chooser in iOS tend to be only Safari and Chrome... :rolleyes:
- cat199 9y agoI get that the market is drastically different than the late 90s, but isn't there already a direct legal precedent of Microsoft browser bundling as clear evidence of monopolist behavior? seems like a dumb idea to risk this here..
- std_throwaway 9y agoIs there an Add-On for Edge to open the page in another browser?
- rasz 9y agoSounds like another billion dollar EU investigation.
- dustinls 9y agoThis already happens for me? Stopped using windows mail for this reason.