This week sees the start of Microsoft's Browser Options pop up windows when you go online or update your computer. At some point in the near future you will get a pop up window asking if you want to stay with Internet Explorer or change to an alternative. This is part of the Microsoft/EU deal in which the EU decided that the inclusion of Internet Explorer with Windows XP, Vista and the new Windows7 was anti-competitive.
If you are running IE 6, 7 or 8 as your default browser you will be presented with a window that offers 12 alternatives to Internet Explorer. These will be in a random order and will include Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari and IE8 as the five most popular options plus 7 more less well known options.
You will need to make a choice as this window will keep popping up until you do eventually pick one. You can of course pick IE8 and leave your preferred browser as it is and you need do nothing further. If you pick an alternative you need to remember that you are making a choice on your preferred browser and not one to try. Every time you connect to the internet after this "choosing" your browser will be the option that you picked. Once you have made your decision then your choice will then be downloaded via the internet, installed and set as the default browser to surf the internet, unless you chose to stay with IE. You may be offered options on installing or copying favourites from Internet Explorer and other settings and add-ons depending on the choice you made.
Those that already have an alternative browser set as their default browser of choice will not see this options pop up.