Craig,

Perhaps "therein lies the rub" (as far as DOJ and 'monopoly' hearings are concerned)!!!

"Windows" doesn't install all kinds of stuff - Microsoft does, THROUGH Windows. Stuff that they know and understand fully and can arrange to exploit later as they may desire. Stuff that they change as they desire DURING the installation or upgrade of an UNRELATED product.
Stuff, that though "documented", is not fully so and may contain hooks that only they understand and can connect to advantage. Stuff that may break an already installed third-party product when a newer version is installed without warning and without authorization.

Personally, so far, MS makes fine products. But one thing we can NEVER know is IF some other parties could make better products (than MS) if they had the same advantage available to them as MS has given itself.

You know, if these were physical products we were talking about (like a car or a TV or a video camera) you just wouldn't find all this STUFF added in becuase it costs real money to do so, and that itself acts as a natural check to prevent such action. But it is different with software.

To date MS has exploited this very well, but it may well be time. for the benefit of us all in the long run, to do SOMETHING to help make sure that third parties have an equal chance to be creative and deliver some goods.

Cheers,

Jim N
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>>>All that happens if you don't install the browser is that the icon doesn't appear. The needed DLLS and ActiveX controls still exist on the users PC.
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>>Craig,
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>>In many ways, that is even worse - Who's computer is it, anyhow??????
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>>Cheers,
>>Jim N
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>Windows itself installs all kinds of stuff that I'll never need or use...what difference does it make at this point to have a few more DLLs and OCXs?