Now I know I have seen these icons somewhere before – where was it? Oh yeah, it was that ugly monster that Microsoft called Internet Explorer 6. Now maybe you have a friend that was really in love with the IE6 interface. What are you to do when you want them to use Firefox instead? Give them the Looks Familiar theme because, well… it looks familiar to them!
+ Download and Install the Looks Familiar theme for Firefox 2!
Mozilla has returned from Microsoft’s headquarters after meeting with the Open Source Director regarding Windows Vista. There were several different things that Mozilla wanted to address especially concerning new security features and restrictions that Microsoft placed in Vista. Here are some of the things that Mozilla had wanted to discuss…
In an article I mostly skimmed over because it was mostly filled with Microsoft pats on the back, I did run across an intresting nugget of information.
Bill Gates is one of the people with Firefox on his computer, so I asked him for his opinion.
“I played around with it a bit, but it’s just another browser, and IE [Microsoft's Internet Explorer] is better,” Mr Gates told me, and challenged my assertion that Firefox’s ‘market share’ is growing rapidly.
“So much software gets downloaded all the time, but do people actually use it?” he argued.
Yes, Mr. Gates people do actually use it.
Sorry, this story just asks for an oddball title. The news here is “Microsoft’s open source software lab has extended a helping hand to Mozilla Corp. if it’s interested in making sure the Firefox browser and Thunderbird e-mail client run under Windows Vista.”
I say good job Microsoft! At least they realize that there is an audience for an alternative Internet browser. Then again, maybe they want to drug them all and turn them into Microsoft zombies?
Well I have to say this headline caught my eye as well, so I did a little further reading and found a very interesting view from one side. Personally, I’m not sure if Firefox should celebrate the victory just yet.
The Browser Wars was the ongoing battle between Internet Explorer (from the blood-sucking programmers at Microsoft) and everyone else. Everyone else includes a bevy of web browsers from front runner Firefox to Opera, Netscape, and Safari. All of these competitors offer great alternatives to Internet Explorer but have fallen short in adoption due to Explorer’s monopoly-like control in most computers that run Windows.
So thanks to Microsoft people can download all that IM, media playing, and alternative browsers such as Firefox? John Carroll talking about his frustrations with Antitrust lead Asa Dotzler to fight back with this:
John, your company broke the law. Microsoft was managed by lawbreakers and thugs who strong-armed OEMs that were already shipping a superior browser to millions and millions of users. Microsoft cheated. There is no honor in that, and even less in your sad attempt at defending it.
[Read the Rest of Asa's Thoughts on John Carroll's Article!]
