Microsoft press release on Microsoft's new browser --- walks like an application

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

Is the Microsoft browser a standalone application?  According to this February
22, 1999 press release, it is.  MSIE 5.0 will be sold on a CD-ROM, and available
for download to run on "Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows NT® 3.51, Windows NT
4.0, Windows 3.1, Sun Solaris and HP-UX operating systems."

So, unless Microsoft can explain how something that is part of an OS can run on
another OS, it would seem to simple folk that this is indeed an application.  Am
I missing something, or is this an odd press release to come out in the middle
of the trial?  jamie
 

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/990222/wa_microso_2.html

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT - news)
today kicked off the countdown to the launch of Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5
by offering customers the opportunity to preorder Internet Explorer 5 through
the Reserve Your Copy Early program. Starting today, customers can preorder
Internet Explorer 5 to avoid the anticipated download demand and ensure they
will be among the first to receive the next version of Microsoft browser
software on CD-ROM. Internet Explorer 5, scheduled to be available on the Web
worldwide starting March 18, 1999, is the browser that saves users time by
simplifying and automating common Web tasks.

``Customer interest in Internet Explorer 5 has been unprecedented to date, with
beta downloads outpacing Internet Explorer 4.0 beta downloads by more than three
to one,'' said Yusuf Mehdi, director of Windows® marketing at Microsoft. ``We're
on the road to delivering a browser that will make it significantly easier to
use the Web, and we are excited to offer customers the opportunity to preorder
their copy now.''

Users can preorder the Internet Explorer 5 CD-ROM on the Microsoft Web site at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ for $6.95 (U.S.), or by calling
800-485-2048. The CDs are scheduled to be sent directly from Microsoft to
customers shortly after the launch of Internet Explorer 5.

Broadest Availability of Internet Explorer Yet

Microsoft is also pleased to announce that on March 18, 1999, Internet Explorer
5 will be immediately available on the Web to the broadest range of customers to
date. For the first time, Microsoft will simultaneously deliver Internet
Explorer for the Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows NT® 3.51, Windows NT 4.0,
Windows 3.1, Sun Solaris and HP-UX operating systems. 

   [snip]

-- 
James Love, Director, Consumer Project on Technology
P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036, v202.387.8030 f202.234.5176
http://www.cptech.org, mailto:love@cptech.org