Why Doesn’t Dell Bundle Firefox?
February 1, 2008 – 7:32 pmA tad less than a year ago Dell launched a forward-thinking customer feedback website called IdeaStorm, modeled on social news sites like Digg. The site appears to be a thunderous success (as its name would suggest), and one of the most popular requests, shipping machines with Linux preinstalled, has already been implemented.
Similarly, many users have asked for Firefox to be preinstalled on Dell machines, including Windows boxes. As the submitter points out, “Most people only use IE because they aren’t aware of other browsers - they think Internet Explorer is the Internet!” It seems logical that all the advantages gained by shipping with Linux (customer choice, greater appeal to tech-savvy buyers and simply offering a better product) apply to Firefox as well. And yet, one year later all we’ve seen is a vague rumor of a limited trial in the UK that I wasn’t able to confirm after extensive googling. In fact, I’m not aware of any major PC manufacturer shipping Firefox (or Opera, for that matter) with any of their Windows machines.
What gives? The only explanation I can see is that Microsoft is still putting the squeeze on OEMs, who are getting price breaks (and/or avoiding some sort of sanctions) for not supplying a competing browser. This is just speculation on my part, but if I’m wrong then I’d be most keen to find out the true reason. If not, then you have to wonder: didn’t we go through a decade or so of antitrust proceedings in the United States and Europe exactly to put an end to this kind of tactics?
12 Responses to “Why Doesn’t Dell Bundle Firefox?”
I can confirm a trial in the UK as my old laptop (dell) had ff on it already.
By Phoenix on Feb 1, 2008
Windows update (the website) becomes a problem. Yes, there are other mechanisms now to get automated updates, but when you go to a forum and they tell yuo to go to WIndows Update with IE, you are kind of hosed.
By Windows update on Feb 1, 2008
I’m in the UK and my dad’s Dell laptop had Fx 1.5.something (I think) preinstalled.
By FP on Feb 1, 2008
Answer: money. Both revenue and costs associated with it.
I’m surprised your asking this. OEMs get revenue from software companies to get their stuff on to their machines. If Mozilla isn’t going to pay, they’re not going to take on the costs of installing/managing this software and also taking customer support phone calls for it.
Firefox is on DELL computers in the UK, I can’t speak to that and others have more detail on how that happened.
By Rafael on Feb 2, 2008
Ugh. you’re asking vs. your. Always gets me *sigh*
By Rafael on Feb 2, 2008
I would expect the number of customer support phone calls to go down if Firefox were the default browser, since fewer users would get infected with spyware.
By Jesse Ruderman on Feb 2, 2008
Why give away a spot like that? I’d think they would prefer someone like Opera, Mozilla bit for it.
That said, wouldn’t mind seeing Firefox ship on computers. But I don’t see it happening as long as that’s a revenue source.
By Robert Accettura on Feb 2, 2008
>since fewer users would get infected with spyware
I wonder if this wouldn’t also cause a decrease in new computer sales. I literally know people who have had computers get so overloaded with spyware that they become completely unusable, and since they don’t know that reinstalling windows is possible, they simply buy a new computer with a fresh installation.
By Alex Faaborg on Feb 2, 2008
Packard Bell ships computers with Google Pack pre-installed in Europe. This includes Firefox.
By Blah on Feb 3, 2008
Couldn’t Dell come to an agreement with Google to receive or share the ad revenue from Firefox shipped on Dell machines?
By James on Feb 4, 2008
i’ve ordered a new dell a few days ag. google pack is pre-installed - firefox not. i’m sure, its a deal with microsoft.
By lfirefox on Feb 5, 2008