4 ms·

This frankly isn't any different than my iPhone where no other browser can become the default!

by greentrack 14y ago

ntkachov 14y ago
The real question is: do users benifit from this in any way?
- greentrack 14y ago
  Ofcourse this isn't good for the users, windows or ios, but it always seems to be a bigger deal when microsoft does it.
  - josteink 14y ago
    On HN I'd rewrite the last part of the statement "but it's only a big deal if Microsoft does it". Around here, Apple can be as abusive and monopolistic as it likes, and nobody will raise their eyes from their MBPs at all.
  - eli 14y ago
    How long have you been on HN? I assure you that a colossal amount of virtual ink has been spent complaining about Apple's closed OS, their opaque app store policies, etc. Stories about iOS apps getting rejected dominated the front page for many weeks. I'd say the community here is far more understanding of Microsoft than, say, the Slashdot crowd.
apendleton 14y ago
Opera Mini is available for iOS devices in the app store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/opera-mini-web-browser/id363729560?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/opera-mini-web-browser/id3637...
- fpgeek 14y ago
  Opera Mobile (Opera's much more comprehensive browser) isn't and for the same reason Firefox and Chrome aren't: Apple iOS ban on third-party interpreters of downloadable code (in the case of a browser, JavaScript). On iOS, the third-party browsers that are available are crippled (no client-side JavaScript unless you use Apple's implementation). And even those crippled browsers, like Opera Mini, can't be set as the default browser (e.g. for when you click on a link in an email).
- greentrack 14y ago
  You can't make it the default app for links which is ultimately what firefox will be fighting for.
- untog 14y ago
  It still uses the Safari rendering engine, because Apple mandates it.
  - vetler 14y ago
    No, Opera Mini doesn't use Safari. The reason for this is that with Opera Mini, the rendering engine isn't on the browser - it's on the server. This is what enables Opera to ship Mini as a tiny client, on a wide range of different devices. There's a bit more info about this here: http://www.opera.com/mobile/specs/ http://www.opera.com/mobile/specs/ In particular, "The rendering engine is on Opera’s server."
tylermenezes 14y ago
Not really, no, but it's a lot more absurd given how well that's gone for Microsoft in the past.
- greentrack 14y ago
  That only really made sense when microsoft was in a monopoly position.

This frankly isn't any different than my iPhone where no other browser can become the default!

ntkachov 14y ago

The real question is: do users benifit from this in any way?

greentrack 14y ago
Ofcourse this isn't good for the users, windows or ios, but it always seems to be a bigger deal when microsoft does it.
- josteink 14y ago
  On HN I'd rewrite the last part of the statement "but it's only a big deal if Microsoft does it". Around here, Apple can be as abusive and monopolistic as it likes, and nobody will raise their eyes from their MBPs at all.
- eli 14y ago
  How long have you been on HN? I assure you that a colossal amount of virtual ink has been spent complaining about Apple's closed OS, their opaque app store policies, etc. Stories about iOS apps getting rejected dominated the front page for many weeks. I'd say the community here is far more understanding of Microsoft than, say, the Slashdot crowd.

apendleton 14y ago

Opera Mini is available for iOS devices in the app store: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/opera-mini-web-browser/id363729560?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/opera-mini-web-browser/id3637...

fpgeek 14y ago
Opera Mobile (Opera's much more comprehensive browser) isn't and for the same reason Firefox and Chrome aren't: Apple iOS ban on third-party interpreters of downloadable code (in the case of a browser, JavaScript). On iOS, the third-party browsers that are available are crippled (no client-side JavaScript unless you use Apple's implementation). And even those crippled browsers, like Opera Mini, can't be set as the default browser (e.g. for when you click on a link in an email).
greentrack 14y ago
You can't make it the default app for links which is ultimately what firefox will be fighting for.
untog 14y ago
It still uses the Safari rendering engine, because Apple mandates it.
- vetler 14y ago
  No, Opera Mini doesn't use Safari. The reason for this is that with Opera Mini, the rendering engine isn't on the browser - it's on the server. This is what enables Opera to ship Mini as a tiny client, on a wide range of different devices. There's a bit more info about this here: http://www.opera.com/mobile/specs/ http://www.opera.com/mobile/specs/ In particular, "The rendering engine is on Opera’s server."

tylermenezes 14y ago

Not really, no, but it's a lot more absurd given how well that's gone for Microsoft in the past.

greentrack 14y ago
That only really made sense when microsoft was in a monopoly position.