10) Why develop IE at all
by CmdrGravy

Given that you are not planning on selling IE 7 and the fact that there are already other browsers on the market which can allow Windows users to experience the web fully why is Microsoft investing so much time and effort in continuing the development of IE?

Dean Hachamovitch:

Windows customers expect the best, safest experience with their PCs out of the box, especially around the web browser. We're investing so much time and effort in IE in order to give Windows customers a great, secure, default experience. I'm glad that users can choose other browsers as they see fit - Windows is a platform. We're working this hard on IE because so many end-users rely on it and so many developers have built on the APIs that IE exposes as a part of the Windows platform.

One reason PS2 game sales are doing so well is price. Sony earlier this year dropped the price of the console to $129 from $149, a move that appears to have attracted a lot of new game buyers. In fact, the PS2 is outselling the Xbox 360, even though it is a far less advanced machine. Mr. Taylor, citing NPD data, said Sony has sold 2.4 million units in the U.S. this year, compared with 2.1 million units for the Xbox 360.

Stream WMV video from a Windows PC running Windows Media Player 11, Zune software, or Windows Media Connect.

Stream music, pictures and video from a Zune device.

Windows Media Player 11 also provides these key features:

• A visually driven experience using thumbnail and album art, an elegant and simple design, and customization capabilities for more personalized interaction

• Improved device experience with new shuffle sync and reverse sync options, device exploration using the library view, and intuitive help icons that ensure seamless and intuitive syncing and burning of rights-managed content

• Highly simplified navigation capabilities, enhanced shortcut options, and dedicated category views for all media types, including music, photos and video

• Better access to content with deep integration of services that blurs the line between online service and media player experiences

• Industry-first audio fingerprinting capabilities that recognize and import track information for unidentified or misnamed audio files

• New formats for ripping and music playback, including Windows Media Audio Professional and WAV Lossless

Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of Microsoft® Office Accounting Express 2007, financial management software designed for early startups and home-based businesses that currently use pen and calculator or spreadsheets to run their operations. Office Accounting Express 2007 consists of desktop software available as a free download and seven integrated online services.*

“If you run a newly formed business, are an eBay® seller, or still do your books in spreadsheets like Excel® or on paper, you should download and use Office Accounting Express 2007,” said Rajat Taneja, general manager of Microsoft Small Business Applications and Services. “The familiar look and feel of the Microsoft Office interface will help small-business owners more easily navigate their everyday financial tasks.”

The Office Accounting Express 2007 software will be available for free while third-party integrated premium online services are available for additional fees. Together, the software and services will enable businesses to harness the power of the Internet to sell products online, send invoices and receive payments electronically, process payroll, run credit reports, work with their accountant, and more — all from within their accounting application.

Office Accounting Express 2007 software will be available on http://www.ideawins.com. IdeaWins is a campaign highlighting how Office Accounting Express 2007 can help small businesses take the hassle out of financial and business management so they can spend more time making their ideas a reality.

Microsoft Corp. said Thursday that quarterly earnings rose by 11 percent, exceeding Wall Street estimates. For the three months ended Sept. 30, Microsoft said it earned $3.48 billion, or 35 cents per share. That compares with earnings of $3.14 billion, or 29 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier.

But many will have shared his satisfaction yesterday after the computer giant claimed a victory in the fight against unsolicited emails when a man dubbed the "Spam King" agreed to pay the company $7m (£3.9m). ...

As part of the settlement of the latest action, Mr Richter denied the allegations but agreed to comply with federal and state laws. He also pledged not to send spam to anyone who has not confirmed a willingness to receive it, and agreed to let authorities monitor his business for three years. Microsoft is donating $1m of the settlement to a New York programme to provide computer equipment to community centres, and will spend $5m more on anti-spam efforts.

Microsoft said Tuesday it will help holiday-season computer buyers upgrade to its forthcoming Windows Vista operating system, in some cases paying 100 percent of the upgrade cost.

Among U.S.-based system builders, four upgrades will be free, except for shipping and handling. They are:

Windows XP Professional to Windows Vista Business
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 to Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Tablet PC Edition to Windows Vista Business
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition to Windows Vista Business 64

Throughout the development cycle, we've blogged about Search in IE7. The Windows Search Guide is part of Instant Search, a new feature in IE7. The search guide page displays search providers that users can select to customize the list in the Instant Search drop down. The providers displayed in the Windows Search Guide are the most popular for each region based on 3rd party website traffic data. Over time these providers will be updated to reflect the most up-to-date popularity.

In a bid to out-cool Apple, Microsoft approached the ultra-snarky Pitchfork blog about supplying content to its Zune digital music player - but was rebuffed by the music hipster haven, The Post has learned.

The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund Inc. (TMSF) has presented its highest award to Microsoft Corp. in recognition of the company’s sustained support of public historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and African-American students. Microsoft was honored with the Corporate Leadership Award at the fund’s annual awards dinner on Oct. 23 in New York City.

The Thurgood Marshall Corporate Leadership Award is presented annually to a corporate entity whose record of commitment to public HBCUs, education and diversity has advanced the overall mission of developing a new generation of leaders. This award is the highest annual award presented by the TMSF and serves as a model for others to emulate.

“Microsoft is honored that the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund has chosen to recognize our commitment to help diverse students achieve their full potential,” said Lisa Brummel, senior vice president of Human Resources at Microsoft. “We hope that our contributions of over $15 million to the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund will continue to provide HBCU students with access to technology tools, skills and innovation to be competitive in the changing global economy.”

... Microsoft said several developers are working on products to make the most of Vista’s advances, and we were told that Microsoft bigwig Jim Allchin, co-president of its platforms and services division, described one as "the best Windows application ever".

Codename Nemo is designed to be an add-on for Windows Vista (Home Premium and Vista Ultimate editions), that integrates Spaces, Messenger and Live Call into a UI designed for large monitors and TVs. Nemo essentially creates a Windows Live Media Center, and is optimized for use by Microsoft Media Center remote, as well as keyboard. Of particular note is the 3D Gallery view for browsing Windows Live Spaces, shown below, presumably built using the new Windows Presentation Foundation that will be included in Windows Vista.

It's game over for Universal's and Fox's participation in the feature adaptation of Microsoft's "Halo."

Both of the studios that agreed to co-finance the screen adaptation of the popular Microsoft game have abruptly backed out of the picture. While rumors had the studios concerned over a budget that was rising above the original projected $135 million pricetag, the filmmakers said the double defection came after U and Fox played hardball and unsuccessfully tried to get the filmmakers and Microsoft to reduce their profit participation.

And Seattle-area companies -- led by Microsoft Corp. -- paid tens of thousands of dollars to fly those members of Congress and their colleagues around the country.

"There is ample evidence that the junket mentality continues, even after Abramoff," said Sheila Krumholtz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog group that released its own database of congressional trips this month. The database contains trips taken from July 2005 until August this year. ...

The most active was Microsoft, sponsor of at least 29 trips worth a total of more than $60,000. Also active were Weyerhaeuser Co. and Plum Creek Timber, according to the group's report of congressional records.

Xbox Live has now reached more than 4 million members and is growing every day. We anticipate by June 2007 more than 6 million gamers will be connected to the Xbox Live network.

Xbox Live is the world’s largest platform for high-definition, on-demand content with gamers downloading over 70 million pieces of gaming and entertainment content from Xbox Live Marketplace in just the first 11 months of launch.

More than 70 percent of connected Xbox 360 consoles are downloading content from Xbox Live Marketplace, home to 2,000 pieces of gaming and entertainment content.

Microsoft fired back in a statement, saying the virus does not appear to take advantage of a Windows vulnerability.

"We encourage all third party vendors to follow best practices and help protect their users regardless of platform through careful scanning of the software they ship, so that they do not expose their customers to unnecessary risk from malicious software," the company said.

The long-touted Microsoft Vista/Office 2007 tandem launch is on for the last week in November in New York, sources said. This event will focus on business usage and scenarios.

The new client Windows operating system and Office client and server applications have been promised for volume business customers by year's end and for consumers by early 2007.