IE7 nukes Google, Yahoo! search

[Bazza]

Update Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 went on a limited beta release today and contains a nasty surprise for some users.

Users with search toolbars from Yahoo! and arch-rival Google have discovered that these vanish. Other third-party toolbars designed to block pop-ups or aid with form filling appear to be working normally, according to reports from Reg readers.

The default search engine is MSN Search.

There are sound compatibility reasons for Microsoft disabling third-party toolbars in an early cut of the software. The beta is only available to Vista beta testers, and is available either as part of Vista itself or as a download for Windows XP, and affects only a few thousand people.

But it does raise ominous echoes of Microsoft's previous tactics of foreclosing competition by hiding the alternatives available to users. For anti-competive reasons, Microsoft is unlikely to risk such a move in the finished product. We'll have to see.

Microsoft last updated its web browser in August 2001 - when cellphones still had monochrome screens and Ken Lay was in charge of the invicible Enron business empire.

Source: The Register.

[chrismm27]

Its not microsoft blocking other companies work, IE7 is a very unstable beta, almost alpha really. Some people report it wont install at all, indeed i had to try twice. Others report its unstable in use. Disabling third party add-ons make perfect sense, indeed i doubt it would work with them based in how unstable it is.