One-liner re AV caught my eye

[rcjordan]

"Microsoft's decision to give PC makers more freedom in customizing Windows XP may give profit-starved computer manufacturers an unexpected windfall: cash bonuses from software makers, Internet service providers and other companies eager to gain a spot on the operating system's desktop and Start menu."

In the body of the article...
"Search portal AltaVista is in 'active negotiations' with 'some OEMs' said a person familiar with the discussions."

PC makers bank on desktop landgrab [news.cnet.com]

[seth_wilde]

"A source close to AltaVista said the company is in negotiations with Compaq to link certain buttons on
PC keyboards to AltaVista services."

I'm looking down at my keyboard still puzzled. What buttons are they trying to buy? It most be some of the F* buttons.....

[ggrot]

They are going to buy NEW buttons. Kinda like microsoft bought the windows buttons and lot of new keyboards have audio buttons.

[seth_wilde]

That makes sense..... Is this a hunch or is this info availabe someplace?

[msgraph]

>>>They are going to buy NEW buttons. Kinda like microsoft bought the windows buttons and lot of new keyboards have audio buttons.

It's not a bad idea and a good way for all the major search sites to get new computer buyers to visit their sites before anywhere else. I'm sure new keyboards from many manf. are going to introduce some button with Search The Web or Shop the Web labeled on them.

[mivox]

The keyboards better come with driver software you can use to re-assign the button from the default though... ::grumble, grumble::