I don't defend Microsoft or any one specific company, none-the-less, I do
respond to inaccuracies to wit:
1. Netscape, like most apps, probably has it's source code and user
interface copyrighted. Microsoft IE did not steal Netscapes code or user
interface. IE does not look the same (lawyers can argue when "close" is
legally "too close", but in this case I think most lay people will agree the
interfaces have different "look and feel".
2. Netscape started the battle. They gave away navigator to educational,
student, and other uses and had a lame "for sale" price which they publicly
told people they really didn't have to pay which is effectively making it
free by decree.
3. The difference is really in the ISP area. Netscape was charging huge
fees to ISP's to bundle Navigator on their "startup CD's" and Microsoft came
along and offered it for free.
4. By the way, I was privy to negotiations with Netscape on some of these
OEM deals and they acted more arrogant, more greedy, and like bigger a-holes
than Microsoft ever was. (In previous jobs I have negotiated several OEM
agreements with Microsoft for using their products on PCs, etc.) My feeling
is this not-seen-by-the-surfing-public attitude is what really drove all
the ISP's and PC manufacturers into the waiting arms of Microsoft. That's
why even AOL chose microsoft over netscape when they re-wrote their AOL
software with a standard browser underneath.
5. Netscape was the leader, Microsoft was almost a "non-starter" in Internet
technologies and apps (they were in the middle of a belated effort to
compete with Compuserve using their proprietary MSN system.) Netscape came
along and not only owned the browser market, but got really greedy and
started predicting that Windows would be obsolete because everything would
become browser based and the browser would effectively become the only
"operating system" the user saw. Netscape heavily hyped their concept of
the OS and the browser becoming one and the same with the browser the
remaining "victor" in this struggle.
6. So, Microsoft, being the biggest company that can see they are wrong and
make major changes (even do a 180) in their strategy, launched crash
projects to "web-ify" everything (remember the "lame" publish to the web
commands added to Office'97 that were not really that good?)
7. Microsoft is really good as improving upon other ideas, so I believe they
felt threatened by this "web browser becomes the OS" hype and decided to
take Marc Andreason's advice (the netscape guy) and build the browser right
into the OS. The only difference, in Microsoft's version, for obvious
reasons, it is Windows and IE that remain visible to the user, and Netscape
gets squeezed out.
8. Bottom line - Microsoft does exactly what Netscape is preaching
(integrating the browser with the OS) and then Netscape becomes a crybaby to
the government ("we like the idea of the os and the browser becoming one and
the same, but only as long as it is OUR browser and their OS gets pushed
aside. 'No Fair' that they did what we suggested but without us!")
As you can see, knowning some of the "smoke filled room politics" has made
me a non-Netscape fan, to say the least...
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Michael Borman
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 1999 7:38 PM
To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'
Subject: RE: [IMail Forum] templates
And Wasn't NetScape Navigator copyrighted too, before Microsoft ripped that
off and gave it away for free?
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Spivack [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 1999 5:02 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: [IMail Forum] templates
Folks, I'm not a legal expert, but I suspect that the "(c) 1999 Microsoft"
on all the HotMail webpages actually means something.
I.E. you can't just rip-off their visual layout for yourselves....
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Rob Roach <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Wed, 08 Sep 1999 17:17:49 -0600
>It's beautiful!
>
>What's the expected price?
>
>RobR
>
>At 03:03 PM 9/8/99 -0600, you wrote:
>>I have one that will be a 100% hotmail clone if thats what your talking
>>about. It uses a combo of Imails webfront and cold fusion but this will
>>allow any language and any look. You can do what ever you want with this
>>one, and its still cheaper than some of the templates that are out there.
>>
>>
>>Http://cf_imail.itwerks.net
>>
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Kevin Tang [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>> > Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 1999 2:21 PM
>> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> > Subject: Re: [IMail Forum] templates
>> >
>> > Hi Raymond Dy,
>> >
>> > We have modified the template and it's available for a small cost.
>> > Check it out at:
>> > http://www.hitstation.com
>> > Login Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> > Password: demo
>> >
>> > Regards,
>> >
>> > Kevin
>> > >
>> > > Anyone who has ever done a template similar to Hotmail??
>> > >
>> > > Raymond
>> > >
>> > Please visit http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html
>> > to be removed from this list.
>>Please visit http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html
>>to be removed from this list.
>
>
>Please visit http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html
>to be removed from this list.
Please visit http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html
to be removed from this list.
Please visit http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html
to be removed from this list.
Please visit http://www.ipswitch.com/support/mailing-lists.html
to be removed from this list.
