INTERACT FORUM

More => Old Versions => Media Center 13 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: Donny Bahama on December 16, 2009, 03:02:33 pm

Title: Why doesn't MC use my default browser?
Post by: Donny Bahama on December 16, 2009, 03:02:33 pm
When I click a link in MC, it starts MSIE. Like most savvy computer users, I don't use MSIE due to the security risks, so it really bugs me that MC defaults to it. I've looked through MC's Options and don't see any setting for this. What gives?
Title: Re: Why doesn't MC use my default browser?
Post by: JimH on December 16, 2009, 03:04:10 pm
We use IE for a browser because we can count on it being there and because we know what it will do.

If you're concerned about security, make sure you update to IE8. 

IE isn't more prone to security problems than any other browser.
Title: Re: Why doesn't MC use my default browser?
Post by: Donny Bahama on December 16, 2009, 03:20:44 pm
We use IE for a browser because we can count on it being there and because we know what it will do.
Come on - how hard would it be to give people the option to just use the default browser?
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If you're concerned about security, make sure you update to IE8.  

IE isn't more prone to security problems than any other browser.
You're absolutely wrong about that. Not only is IE a primary target for exploits (precisely because malicious hackers "can count on it being there"), but Microsoft has a long history of unacceptable delays in providing patches for known exploits.
Title: Re: Why doesn't MC use my default browser?
Post by: JimH on December 16, 2009, 04:00:53 pm
Donny,
In my opinion, your concerns about security are not valid.  It might have been an issue a few years ago.  It isn't now.

We don't implement every idea we hear.  Your idea could take a nano second to form, but the implementation might take us a week and this particular suggestion would probably create new problems.

Wikipedia on browser market share (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers).

Firefox security issues (http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-10416753-264.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0)

We're not going to make this change.

Jim


Title: Re: Why doesn't MC use my default browser?
Post by: Matt on December 16, 2009, 04:44:48 pm
What links are you talking about?

When launching a browser, we launch the default browser.  On my system, this is not IE.

The IE control is used inside the player in some cases.  There's no viable embeddable HTML renderer from other makers, so this will not be changed.
Title: Re: Why doesn't MC use my default browser?
Post by: Donny Bahama on December 16, 2009, 04:52:22 pm
What links are you talking about?
I clicked a link (may have double-clicked) in a page displayed in the embedded browser. An external browser was launched - MSIE. This is definitely not the default on my system. (Google Chrome is.)
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When launching a browser, we launch the default browser.  On my system, this is not IE.
That's not how it worked for me.
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The IE control is used inside the player in some cases.  There's no viable embeddable HTML renderer from other makers, so this will not be changed.
I wasn't talking about the embedded browser.
Title: Re: Why doesn't MC use my default browser?
Post by: Alex B on December 17, 2009, 06:40:23 pm
I clicked a link (may have double-clicked) in a page displayed in the embedded browser. An external browser was launched - MSIE. This is definitely not the default on my system. (Google Chrome is.)...
... I wasn't talking about the embedded browser.

When you are browsing a web page inside MC you are already running I.E. (the embedded version). When the creator of the web page has coded a link to open in a new browser window and you click such a link the browser does what is requested. It opens a new browser window. No web browser opens a different program when a standard web page link is clicked (at least not by default).

MC has web links that are not on a web page (for instance, the Help links). These links can open the default browser.