R.I.P. Outlook Express

Maybe MSIE is really going to die...

[msr986]

There has been discussion that IE6.x will be the last stand alone version of Internet Explorer. I really didn't believe this since there was some talk about this previous to IE6.

Now it seems that Outlook Express will not be developed further:

[betanews.com...]

Maybe MS is serious this time. I don't know why they would fight so hard to gain such dominance, and then throw the door wide open for competitors!

[hartlandcat]

This IE6 thing is not a rumour --- Microsoft have announced it.

I'm afraid that I don't believe Microsoft "fought so hard" to gain dominance. They gained dominance by bundling IE with Windows, and more importlandly, by intergrating IE 4.0 with Windows 98. Most people are happy to use what their computer comes with.

[legster]

then throw the door wide open for competitors!

It's not out of their goodness in their hearts, it's cause they lost the lawsuit. :)

[msr986]

> This IE6 thing is not a rumour --- Microsoft have announced it.

MS really hasn't announced this officially, someone at MS just sort of mentioned it.

Before MS IE6.0 came out as a beta, people at MS also "mentioned" that there would not be an IE6.

> I don't believe Microsoft "fought so hard" to gain dominance

Their lawyers seem to have fought hard! ;)

> It's not out of their goodness in their hearts, it's cause they lost the lawsuit

The lawsuit is probably why MS is burying the browser in the operating system.

According to someone at MS, the browser will be eliminated and the browsing funtions will be taken over by the operating system.

Why would you install some third party software to browse the web when these functions are native to the OS?

How could you un-bundle the browser if it is an integral part of the OS?

Trust me, MS will not be out of the browser business. :)

[tedster]

Does give me concerns about how fast browser technology can progress if a browser update requires an update of the OS -- but MS plans on force-feeding those updates, don't they?

[hartlandcat]

The problem is, IE 6.0 will still be the most common browser in use until at least 2006. Although many of you will disagree, I'm not going to feel limited because of IE's limitations. IE is not going to stop me using position:fixed and translucent PNG backgrounds and other stuff that doesn't work in IE.

[g1smd]

>> but MS plans on force-feeding those updates, don't they? <<

Its already daily security-fix-patchorama with Windows anyway, so what is the problem with having other OS and browser updates at the same time?

Just as long as I can install and use some Mozilla derivative in this new world order, I'll be happy. If not then RedHat, Mandrake, SuSe, et al get another new user.

[msr986]

Long Live OE!

MS apparently reverses decision: :o

[betanews.com...]

I still don't believe that MS will discontinue IE! :)