I really think you guys have it wrong.. I have spent time in Redmond, and I found no green-eyed monsters there. Well maybe in snoqualmie falls (but that's next door)..
I think Microsoft likes to see good software just the same as the next person. Granted they like it even better if it's their own, but they see good software as a challenge to improve theirs.
Microsoft has been offering free security summits and seminars in all major US cities and markets and they have shown a major interest lately in improving what they have.
I would remind everyone who use an IE browser, if you go to the HELP menu and about Internet Explorer, you will find it's based on NCSA Mosaic, so whether you think people should own software copyright and make money off of it or not. We are talking about IE and Netscape which are both step children of NCSA Mosaic.. I bet even IBrowse has something to do with that lineage.
I am writing this on IE 6 right now using a pre-release of Windows XP service pack 2 which really speaks to Microsoft's addressing security concerns. It now has a pop up blocker built-in like netscape/mozilla. Whether you like it or not microsoft's IE eclipsed the original netscape browser with DHTML features and active x controls. The same legacy technology that people have been using to exploit security issues. If you don't use Active X and set your security levels properly IE can be quite a good browser to work from..
Netscape and Mozilla have always suffered from the same Document Object Model deficiencies and fell behind supporting W3C standards. It's a great browser just the same. However, having said that.. Aren't there other browsers out there that might be better.. Like Konqueror and their K-HTML support.. I am just saying that Microsoft doesn't really sell IE and neither did netscape..
Why are we all complaining about a product that has the same roots and at one time maybe the same codebase..
This accounts to just more Microsoft bashing. Freedom of choice is an important thing. It's even more important to see technology improvements in basic browser technology (and I don't mean XML)..
The fact is neither browser totally does what everyone wants.. Maybe we should still be on a quest for a better browser rather than declare one the "winner".. I see no one stepping up and saying apple's "Safari" browser is a better tool for example..
If you have ever written HTML or server side language code you know what a hassle it is to support different browsers with different DOMs.. I think Microsoft by promoting firefox is showing a willingness to embrace other software and to acknowledge good software no matter who it comes fom.
For those wishing to deinstall IE: It's not really an application that's why it's difficult to de-install. Even IE 4 featured a total revamped desktop replacement for windows explorer that upgraded the OS as well as installed the browser. Originally IE was supposed to be a browser and part of the desktop (like windows explorer). They built protocols for http ftp etc into the os.. If you de-install IE you could de-install these protocols and other apps that's aren't a web browser couldn't use their embedded functionality..
You can make Netscape your default browser, but it's protocols are hardly integrated into the OS.. Isn't it smart to support these kinda protocols directly in the OS.. I for instance know that a certain web browser installs into the AmigaOS an HTTP protocol handler. That's doing the same thing as what IE is..
On Windows 95 and beyond, any open window can turn into any application (whether it be a windows explorer app or an Internet explorer app. by typing a path in the address bar area). In other words Http:// or C:\ .. So stop thinking of it as a stand alone application, it's just a window with access to various protocols..
It offers embedding in too apps.. It's a good and useful feature that you can easily turn off.. And people who haven't figured out how to or feel they need to "de-install" really don't understand underlying what's there beyond an icon..
All I see this is, as more anti-microsoft bias. I use Firefox all the time and it's a great piece of software. It's not integrated but it works well enough it doesn't need to.. KDE on linux takes the same approach(as IE) with their desktop and konquerer on linux.. It's a good idea.. Get over it folks..
