Subj : Re: Firefox kicks ass
To   : comp.os.linux
From : Willem van der Berg
Date : Sun Aug 29 2004 08:01 pm

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 03:46:56 -0700, Pandora Xero wrote:
> Hmm... only slightly worried? then why are they crusading against
> linux? And making IE exclusive websites, then claiming other browsers
> cannot view the website, and claiming IE is better, as evidenced in a
> previous episode where MSN.com used browser exclusion, and claimed that
> other browsers did not have (as good) XHTML support?

That's not being worried, that's being a commercial company playing it
smart. Why wait for the threat, when you can attack it in it's infancy?

> They most likely will copy firefox in every possible way. they have
> copied copied off many concepts, especially innovations from Apple, and
> *gasp* the Sun Java VM.
> 
> --Pandora Xero

Yup. And history will then repeat itself. Firefox won't stand out enough,
because IE copied all it's features. IE will probably remain a
majpr security threat, but the average Windows user who's even curious
enough to look at Firefox in the first place, will see that the
differences (in features) are pretty much the same. "Jesus what a
bad rip-off browser, it is 100% identical to my IE!". And because
you cannot 'see' the security threat IE poses, they won't switch.

Again, people might just switch if the same switch has been made at the
office. They just might. But it is a pretty much uneven fight. I mean,
back in the good old Netscape/IE days... Netscape was the benchmark. The
only way IE managed to beat Netscape was by copying it in every way and
making it easier to obtain than Netscape (e.g. bundling it with all their
software, hardwiring it in Windows, spreading more free cds than
bloody AOL). Firefox is neither the benchmark nor does it have a
significant edge that is marketable. Security doesn't sell, at least not
for consumers. Not yet.

Willem

p.s. the above is only written from a marketing/commercial point of view,
not my opinion on the quality of Firefox. Which is of course a great
product.

.