And the BIG winner is…Microsoft!
I have been wondering what will happen to Mozilla now that Netscape has been laid to rest. CNET asks ”Is this the end of Netscape?”, but I think a more important question would be “Is this the end of Mozilla?!”.
The message boards at Mozillazine and this article at Salon seem relatively upbeat, but I’m finding it difficult to share in any enthusiasm, especially after reading this article: Microsoft to abandon standalone IE .
Microsoft is phasing out standalone versions of its Internet Explorer Web browser, according to statements attributed to IE program manager Brian Countryman in an interview posted on the software giant’s Web site.
It’s not hard to imagine that the use of the browser built into future versions of Windows will start to require a subscription to the Microsoft Network. We already know that it will require acceptance of Microsoft’s Next-Generation Secure Computing Base (known in its previous incarnation as “Palladium"); and we all know what that means: Loss of control over how “your” computer and “your” data is used and a stranglehold on the market for, well, just about everything that can be digitized.
Brace yourselves for full-spectrum domination of everything. Not even registering your copy of Opera will save you now.
June 3 Update
Zeldman points out some of the implications of this deal in ”IE/AOL/Netscape: what happens next?” Among other important questions was this one, which I would like to hear a Microsoft spokesperson address:
What happens to CSS3 and XHTML 2 if the bulk of web users (including AOL users) “standardize” on a year 2000 browser for the next three to seven years?
Zeldman’s article also confirms what I feared: You will have to either buy Microsoft’s next operating system (if you are a Windows user) or subscribe to MSN (if you are a Mac user) to be able to continue to use the most current version of MSIE.
Now that the browser wars are over, Microsoft can go back to treating customers like property.
