The Horrible Sound of Netscape Dying

Microsoft paid three-quarters of a billion dollars to AOL to settle the whole Internet Explorer v/ Netscape Navigator question. Or, alternately, to end legal actions accusing them of unfair business practices--whatever, the result will be the same according to David Becker at CNET.

So much for Netscape 8.0

That's one upshot of Thursday's settlement between Microsoft and AOL Time Warner, according to industry analysts, who predict the Netscape browser--currently at version 6.2--will now move from a neglected orphan of AOL Time Warner to a candidate for euthanasia.

"For the most part, it means Netscape is pretty much gone," said Rob Enderle, an analyst for research firm Giga Information Group. "AOL is going to continue indefinitely now on IE (Internet Explorer) and has no justification really to continue funding Netscape."

I happen to agree--it probably will be the end of Netscape. That's not what I really find interesting about the situation, though.

Nope, what's interesting is that Microsoft spent $750 million dollars to settle a suit brought forth by the owners of a free product in competition with Microsoft's free product. That doesn't sound like the best business plan to me, but, then, what's three-quarters of a billion dollars to Microsoft?

I wish I had that kind of spare change sitting around.

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Posted by zombyboy at May 29, 2003 12:00 AM | TrackBack