A snippet from a CNET news story, by way of lockergnome: “Although Microsoft may continue to provide security and performance updates, no major new releases (of Internet Explorer) are planned, Microsoft Product Manager Jessica Sommer told CNET News.com. Sommer said that, with the emergence of Apple’s Safari browser, Microsoft felt that customers were better served by using Apple’s browser, noting that Microsoft does not have the access to the Macintosh operating system that it would need to compete.”
Hmmm… is it just me, or does anyone else seem to remember Microsoft protesting its innocence when the Netscape/AOL folk were complaining to the Department of Justice that Microsoft was exploiting its knowledge of the operating system to create a browser they (Netscape) couldn’t compete with? And now Microsoft bails on IE/Mac for exactly the same reason? Hmmm….
Actually, this is discouraging news because for a lot of Web sites (like Charles Schwab and even ThinkGeek) I still have to flip from Safari into Internet Explorer. so I think it’s time for the Apple Safari team to crank it up yet another notch so that Safari for Panther (10.3, coming in the fall, first beta is to be seeded at the WWDC in a few weeks) really rocks.
Maybe it is just you. As I see it MS has a responsibility to its share holders. They recognize that they can�t compete in a market and instead of spending money in R&D in something that it may be not their strongest suit, they move on to what they do best. And yes it would be up to Apple to get in gear and provide a browser that is compatible. For what I�ve seen they�ve done a great job. It is a lot faster and very compatible for the most part, but they still have a bit to go.
I don�t think MS in their statement is doing the same thing at all that Netscape did. What they�re doing is saying we see a strong competitor and we move aside to make sure the user gets the best technology possible.
Or are you saying that Apple should be investigated because they have an unfair advantage for a product they produce? As I see it, Apple has all the rights to develop a browser that meets their customers needs to its fullest.
John: MS does indeed have a responsibility to its shareholders. The idea that Microsoft would “move aside to make sure the user gets the best technology possible” sounds more like altruism (which does not exist, btw <g>) than fiduciary responsibility. I’m not sure what MS’s motivations are, but I’d bet it has more to do with fiduciary responsibility than altruism.