"...evidently with a straight face"

[Bob Drzyzgula]

>From Computergram International...

> Compaq to Use Netscape as Default XP Browser?
>
> By Kevin Murphy
> 
> Speculation has started that Compaq Computer Corp is to
> use America Online Inc's Netscape 6 browser as the default
> on Windows XP-based PCs to ship later this year. The
> speculation coincides with the news that Compaq is to
> give AOL software priority over Microsoft Corp's MSN on
> XP machines.
> 
> Compaq confirmed reports yesterday that it will receive
> a bounty for every user who signs up for AOL from the
> XP desktop on Compaq PCs. The manufacturer will include
> AOL's service as the main online service on the XP Start
> Menu, which is larger and less cluttered than on previous
> versions of Windows, and was a spot reserved for MSN
> by default.
> 
> Microsoft condemned the move. During a conference call
> Friday, group vice president Jim Allchin reportedly accused
> the two companies of "hiding features from consumers"
> by diminishing MSN's role on the desktop. "I don't think
> it's a good thing for consumers and I don't think it's
> a good thing for the industry," Allchin said, evidently
> with a straight face.
> 
> Meanwhile, developers working on Mozilla, the open-source
> browser engine used in Netscape 6.0 and future versions,
> began to speculate that Compaq is also looking at using
> Netscape as its default browser in XP machines.
> 
> Under recently announced plans, Microsoft will allow OEMs
> to untie Internet Explorer from Windows - undoing the
> mechanism by which it achieved dominance in the browser
> wars and which sparked the Department of Justice's
> antitrust trial against the firm.
> 
> According to a posting to the Mozilla Bugzilla bug-tracking
> list, a bug was spotted in the browser during testing on
> a Compaq XP box that was due to ship with Netscape. The
> bug occurred when Netscape was installed as the default
> browser. While Netscape appeared as the default browser,
> it would not appear as the default mail client.
> 
> Speculation among Mozilla developers that Netscape may
> be lined up as Compaq's default XP browser kicked off
> when the posting concerning the bug was subsequently
> password-protected so it can now be viewed only by
> authorized Netscape employees, implying that it contains
> trade secrets.
> 
> The Compaq deal is the latest development in the ongoing
> war between Microsoft and AOL for real estate on the
> XP desktop. AOL started approaching Windows OEMs long
> before talks aimed at seeing AOL carried on the XP CD
> collapsed. The company confirmed yesterday that it is
> talking to other PC manufacturers about deals similar to
> the Compaq one.