Microsoft IE6 SP1 is the final standalone installation(?)

Microsoft Technet ^ | May 7, 2003

[Dominic Harr]

"Legacy OSes have reached their zenith with the addition of IE 6 SP1. Further improvements to IE will require enhancements to the underlying OS."

????

F.Y.I.

[Dominic Harr]

What does this mean for IE on the Mac, I wonder?

[rontorr]

what does this really mean, period, I smell a double meaning

[D. Brian Carter]

It means even more intrusion by Microsoft products anytime you try to do ANYTHING on your PC. I'm not one of these "Microsoft is Evil" Gates-bashers, but I sure get frustrated when Microsoft products circumnavigate my StartCop program and anytime there is an opportunity a Microsoft program will try to make itself a default.

[rontorr]

my brother tells me that with W XP they can read into your system and do anything they want, including wiping out software you have installed they don't want you to have, I don't like this XP that came with this computer, and wish I could get my Me back, but the disc is in Thailand and I am in Oregon. I have had attacks on my system where others have installed their own software, ISP dialers, toolbars, etc. recently, I have even had to go back, reformat and reinstall everything, which took days with all of the windows, Office, and Mcafee updates on a 56k modem, some people tell me nothing can get throug the latest Mcafee firewall, but I beg to differ

[Fredsterman]

I run Win 2K, and Norton Personal Firewall. I have never had an undetected security threat from Microslop,(soft, sorry), or from anyone else. When you update your OS read the EULA carefully, they state there that they are identifing your machine, not you, but your machine. And that no "personal Information will be collected."
ME is a lousy OS. Shell out the bucks for a new OS, reformat, and enjoy.

[Jumper]

Microsoft 2003 Server and the new product line will be Windows Security for Dummies. MS has spent both time and money on securing their products.

For those who are upset that their machines can be identified, look around yourselfs and ask, "Gee, my cell phone is cool" and then take a reality check knowing that the phone is chipped and trackable, that the communications are not encrypted, and.... you want to bash Microsoft?

[Gorons]

Internet Explorer will, for the future, be operating system specific.

Each IE/ er ... OS will have it's own customized version with some new fixes that add additional security. It's really going to be a much safer product:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/workshop/security/szone/overview/esc_changes.asp

More information can be found at the link above. I highly recommend you read it to get a better understanding as to why IE 6 SP1 will be the last multi version browser released for the various Microsoft Operating Systems.

[Dominic Harr]

what does this really mean, period, I smell a double meaning

Only Mr. Gates and Mr. Ballmer know for sure. But there are several interesting bits of information I'd consider along side this:

• MS just paid off on illegal behavior committed against Netscape, and got AOL's commitment to IE for the future to boot. Now they announce no more improvements to IE itself?

• One of the main reasons 'predatory pricing' cases like this one are such a big anti-trust deal is that once the 'free' product destroys the competition, that product will no longer be 'free' and all innovation will stop.

• This kind of "bundling" is one of the anti-trust "hot issues", still not fully resolved either way.

• How will this affect Mac?

[Dominic Harr]

What the speaker is promoting is a means to lock you into his cash flow.

That bears repeating.

[Dominic Harr]

Um -- I'd suggest that a 'componentized' architecture is always more secure, more robust, more scalable, etc, etc.

Especially with distributed 'rich-client' apps like browsers.

An 'integrated' architecture is good for only one thing: Vendor lock-in.

This is not for security reasons. I do not agree with you.

[HAL9000]

What does this mean for IE on the Mac, I wonder?

IE? We've heard of it, but Safari is the preferred browser now.

[Gorons]

Vendor lock-in? As in the recent AOL deal? AOL gets to customize the IE that will be present in Longhorn.

Other companies can do that as well, and will.

[Clara Lou]

I smell a rat on the part of MS. They can do what they want with IE. I'll use Mozilla and switch completely to a Linux OS.

[zx2dragon]

I love Konqueror, Opera and Mozilla and in that order. I still have a MS machine at work and one at home for the games I have already bought. Guess it's time to get RH 9 up and running.

[null and void]

Oooooooh! Can I be the first to predict a MAJOR security flaw???

[mrb1960]

I love Konqueror, Opera and Mozilla and in that order

I've never heard of Konqueror, though I have Opera and Mozilla. Are these programs actually that much better than IE?

[Jack Black]

Well microsoft ain't all bad. They build the Xbox and sell it for only $179 and it makes a decent linux box.