Collecting data on PC downloads for its web browser over three days, Opera has found that more than half of the European downloads are coming directly from Microsoft’s newly introduced Choice Screen that offers Windows users the option of 12 browsers in total, including its own Internet Explorer.
“This confirms that when users are given a real choice on how they choose the most important piece of software on their computer, the browser, they will try out alternatives,” said Håkon Wium Lie, CTO of Opera Software.
“A multitude of browsers will make the web more standardised and easier to browse.”
Microsoft introduced Choice Screen to Europe following an agreement reached with the European Commission after an investigation into what the commission said was anti-competition practices by bundling the IE web browser with its operating system. Microsoft is obliged to provide the Choice Screen for the next five years.
The European average for the number of Opera downloads as a percentage of overall downloads is 53pc, while in some countries it is particularly high: in Poland, Choice Screen accounted for 77pc of total Opera downloads while in Spain this was 68pc.
These downloads have boosted overall Opera downloads, which were up by 130pc on average in Europe over the three days they were analysed from 12-14 March.
By Marie Boran
Photo: Opera downloads in Europe were up an average of 130pc over the three days they were analysed
