[IP] Microsoft to quit making web browsers for Mac

[Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Microsoft to quit making web browsers for Mac

Sunday, June 15, 2003 at 08:00 JST
SEATTLE ? Microsoft Corp said Friday it will no longer develop versions of
its popular web-browsing software for Apple Computer's Macintosh system,
saying Apple's own browsing software is a logical choice for Mac users.

Except for two minor upgrades, Microsoft's Internet Explorer 5 is the last
version it will develop for the Mac, said Jessica Sommers, product manager
for the software company's Macintosh Business Unit.

It makes more sense for Mac users to use Apple's Safari web-browser, she
said. Although still in beta testing, the browser has already gained
attention for its speed and some of its features.

Sommers said Apple is in a better position to create a browser with more
features and that offers a smoother experience because "Apple has access to
functionality in the operating system that Microsoft doesn't."

"They can do things because they're developing on their own operating system
that we as a third party programmer can't do," she said.

It's a complaint that has been leveled at Microsoft in the past by outside
software vendors, who said Microsoft's access to its underlying code gave it
an inside track on making its own add-on products run more smoothly than
others.

Microsoft is not backing away from the Mac and will continue to develop
other software, she said, including a new version of Office business
software for the Mac.

"Our relationship is strong as ever," she said. "This is by no means an
indication that we're walking away from other products."

The move isn't surprising, said Rob Helm, research director for Directions
on Microsoft, a Kirkland-based independent research firm.

Internet Explorer already has more than 90% of the market, he said, and
Microsoft doesn't need the added exposure to Mac users, who constitute less
than 5% of computer users. (Wire reports)

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&id=263195

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