

Microsoft JVM installed, the option to change the default is there if you upgraded to Windows 7 from an older version of the operating system. Today the only real option is Sun's JVM (Sun being the developer of Java), but since many older systems might still have the Back in the Windows XP days, Microsoft supplied its own JVM, but it discontinued This is a plug-in for your webīrowser that enables the running of Java-based web applications. *The applications listed here are commonly chosen alternates other applications are available.Īll of these applications are somewhat self-explanatory, with the exception of the Java virtual machine, or JVM.

Windows Default Applications Operation Default Application Optional Programs* Email program None Microsoft Outlook,Mozilla Firebird,Windows Live Mail Instant messaging None AOL Instant Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Windows Live Messenger,Yahoo! Messenger Java virtual machine None Sun JVM Media player Windows Media Player iTunes, QuickTime, RealPlayer,Windows Media Center Web browser Internet Explorer Google Chrome,Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari What programs are we talking about changing? Essentially, these are applications that Windows uses for core operations, as detailed in Table below. Changing from Windows Media Player to iTunes is now easy to do. Well, that's what theseĬhanges are all about-changing the default programs for common operations. Launches Windows Media Player by default you'd rather not see WMP at all, and want to have iTunes launched instead. Right now, when you insert an audio CD, it Let's say, for example, that you're an iPod user and would prefer to use iTunes as your media player. You're no longer locked into Microsoft's default applications you can pick and choose what programs you want to use for all sorts of basic tasks. Whatever the impetus, being able to change Windows' default programs truly results in your being able to configure and use Windows your way. These changes go even further in Europe, where action by the European Union forced Microsoft to fully remove Internet Explorer from Windows 7. Change isn't always given, but it is sometimes taken-in this case, by concerned users (and competing Microsoft's unbundling of core applications (discussed later in this tutorial) and enabling easier change of default programs See, Microsoft has been subject to a number of antitrust lawsuits over the years, accusing the company of monopolizing the market for various

Why did Microsoft make this change? Microsoft says it's all about giving its users the freedom of choice, but that's not it at all. In Windows 7, things are different now you can easily choose That's the way it worked in previous versions of Windows, anyway. Windows by default launches its own Internet Explorer web browser when you want to send an email message, it launches Windows For example, when you want to browse the Web, Let's start with the programs that Windows uses to perform specific types of tasks.
