Windows 9X Special Interest Group

By John S. Krill

Embed the Browser? Sure. Embed Internet Explorer? No Way.

At least not the way Microsoft wants to do it. Microsoft wants to eliminate ALL other browsers form the earth therefore it doesn’t care if you can’t use some of the embedded functions with any other browser except Internet Explorer.

What needs to be done is for Microsoft to create a set of Application Program Interface (API) calls for all internet related functions: web browser, mail, FTP, Telnet, newsgroups, etc. This way anyone can create internet tools for the Windows environment (Note: This article was written the week of January 12, 1998 and today, January 21, 1998 I have figured out how to get around some of the road blocks Microsoft has put into its latest version of the desktop. See the article ‘Choosing The Browser Of YOUR Choice.’)

Push for Standards not Information

Currently each browser has its own disk space for cache and history files. What needs to be done is ALL browser makers need to standardize on one method for storing files: cache and history and your list of Web sites.

There needs to be only one favorite or bookmark file. Having to keep my list of internet sites in both the Netscape bookmarks and Internet Explorer favorites directory is waste. Personally I don’t like favorites because they take up a lot of disk space. They’re just Windows 95 shortcuts and in my case take up 4kbytes each.

Put it Where I Want It!

When Microsoft installs your Internet Explorer it creates several directories for such things as history files, temporary internet files, favorites, and channels. What upsets me is that Microsoft doesn’t put these directories under the assigned Internet Explorer directory but under your windows directory. If I wanted these directories under the windows directory then I would have said so.

Because Microsoft ignores your request you have to go into the registry and redirect these directories yourself. And you have to go to more than ONE location in the registry to do this. Microsoft programmers seem to ignore their own resources. I now export this information from the registry so if I have to reload Windows (correction: not if but when) I can import all the changes I require.

While we’re on favorites I didn’t ask Microsoft to add a favorites shortcut to the Start button. Not only do they add this favorite shortcut but they do it in a way that makes it impossible for the average user to remove it. I wouldn’t be as upset as I am if I could USE those favorites with ANY browser.

Remember It’s The Consumer STUPID!

Microsoft has forgotten who it works for. It’s duty is not to kill the competition but to satisfy it’s customers.

Active desktop is not for you, the user, but for those corporations that pay Microsoft big bucks to put one of those dumb channels on your desktop.

Microsoft doesn’t give the browser away free because it loves you but to eliminate Netscape. You, the customer, be dammed. And now it’s not embedding the browser because customers demanded it but as another road block to all other browser makers. Again, you, the customer, be dammed.

Microsoft - It is the CUSTOMER stupid!