The tech press hypes the next round of Netscape vs. Microsoft. In the aftermath of Browser War I, a soundly defeated Netscape was humiliated and reduced to poverty. It reached out for a strangely compelling new leader to guide it back to greatness. A pact with its erstwhile conqueror, Microsoft, bought it time to re-arm. Or so some of the recent press coverage would have us believe.
War always makes for a great headline.
Grok figures that if there's a war on, it's a war of leaks during tense negotiations. The sound of distant cannon was first heard on Wednesday when CNET and Betanews ran stories possibly originating in leaks from inside AOL - neither outlet named a source for its information. The aim is to enable AOL users run any browser they please. Many outlets quoted Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinen confirming that the contract under which Microsoft has pre-installed AOL software in Windows, in exchange for browser preference by AOL, ended on Jan. 1. ZDNet's Anchor Desk editor David Coursey eschewed the military analogy for a pugilistic hook.