Personally, I don't think they forced anyone to use their software. If you want to use their software you have to go to the store and buy either a windows computer or a windows installation cd. This business about ms forcing people to use their software is b******t.
Don't you still have to use IE for the Windows Updates site?
What would be better, imo, is if IE didn't come pre-installed in the first place, but was available on a CD, also including alternative browsers, which came with all new computers. People could then make the choice for themselves. Even with the 'switch off' feature, it seems IE would still be installed on the machine.