Suprised? Well....

Well, the news that the web design world is waking up to (unless, like me, you're really a geek and check the news over the weekends) is that Microsoft has decided to discontinue development of the Internet Explorer Browser for the Macintosh. Now as I'm a dedicated Mac Geek, this should be affecting me. However, I long ago ceased using IE on any platform, Mac or otherwise. The truth is that while IE had been a groundbreaking browser, especially on the last Mac release, it has long since been eclipsed by other third parties (Safari for the Mac, the Mozilla Project, Opera, you take your pick). So when Microsoft says that they think Mac users will be better served by something like Safari, I wholeheartedly agree with them (hard to admit that I'd agree with MS, but there you go).

What I find more disconcerting is that this seems to fit into a series of recent predatory moves that Microsoft has taken. Let me list a few...

• Microsoft discontinues the development of Macintosh Internet Explorer, further isolating the Mac Platform from mainstream software and acceptance. MS does promise to continue development of Office for the Mac, however...
• Microsoft buys the leading Windows Emulation software company for the Mac (makers of Virtual PC); for the time being they promise to continue development...
• Microsoft buys a leading Linux developer whose main product is Linux Anti-Viral Software, than plans to discontinue the AV software
• Microsoft begins paying licensing fees to SCO for Unix, strengthing SCO's claims of ownership of the Unix code and thereby the threat of legal action against users and distributors of Linux (which SCO claims incorporates copyrighted SCO Unix code). Many folks see this as a way to help SCO make it's current legal case against IBM and in general weaken the position of Linux and Open Source projects in the world at large.
• Microsoft begins slashing prices on software which has competition with Linux, including Developers SQL Server (by over $400 dollars). They also establish a special fund to use in discounting software when signing contracts with large enterprises (governments, etc.). All of this follows a memo where Steve Balmer specifically indentified Linux as a threat to MS.
• And the capper, rumor has it that MS will soon discontinue the development of a stand-alone browser for the Windows (that's right, Windows) platform. If true, it means the ultimately the only way to get a new browser would be to buy a new copy of Windows itself.

Now, taken separately many of the actions seem either justified or benign. But together, it appears to show the same pattern of predatory practices that landed MS in the courts before, only this time there seems to be no push by the government to respond. Now, for legal reasons, please don't trust or quote this - go to the source. Most of this info has been gleaned from email me and I'll do what I can. Now the point of this is not to sound like a raving paranoid, but I do have to admit that it all smells kind of fishy...