> This is the bit that I don't really get.. > > Didn't Microsoft get pooped on by the US DOJ for this very reason? We > all heard this talk about how Microsoft is in big trouble and was > going to have to pay major fines for non-competitive behaviour.. and > now they have completely absorbed their browser into the OS...
The case is closed & AOL has been paid off. It was only about 3 days after that announcement that they said they were canning IE as a standalone app. We are stuck with IE6 until Longhorn is released and then you will need to upgrade your OS to get the new IE version. > What chance does that give the other browser makers out there? I think it gives them a huge chance. I really think Firebird is chomping on IE6's heals in terms of usability and features right now. This decision by MS gives it an extra 3 to 4 years to really crank up the pressure (2 years until longhorn and then 1 or 2 more until most people have upgraded). After that point I really don't know, maybe IE will bury them like they did Netscape, maybe we will all be using SOAP and .NET widgets instead of vanilla HTTP & HTML? But for the next while there is a big window or opportunity for other browser makers on Win and Mac. I don't expect Netscape to fill this hole, because AOL don't care anymore. I don't think people will fork out for Opera. So what's left? Hopefully the Firebird/Safari/Camino family of browsers will go well. Cheers Mark ______________ Mark Stanton Web Production Gruden Pty Ltd Tel: 9956 6388 Mob: 0410 458 201 Fax: 9956 8433 http://www.gruden.com --- You are currently subscribed to cfaussie as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] MX Downunder AsiaPac DevCon - http://mxdu.com/
