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Technology Stocks : MSFT Internet Explorer vs. NSCP Navigator -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Charles Hughes who wrote (14874)	12/13/1997 12:57:00 PM
From: VICTORIA GATE, MD	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 24154

Friday December 12, 6:17 pm Eastern Time PC makers plan to keep shipping Microsoft browser (Updates lead, adds Compaq, graf 10) By Martin Wolk SEATTLE, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The world's biggest personal computer makers said Friday they expect to continue shipping Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer browser on new units despite a federal court decision freeing them to leave it off. ''We will continue to bundle IE 4 with Windows 95,'' said Micron Electronics Inc. spokeswoman Denise Smith. ''It's what our customers are demanding.'' Micron was among several manufacturers that tried unsuccessfully to eliminate Internet Explorer or its desktop icon from some models in favor of rival Netscape Communications Corp. The manufacturers were forced to back down when Microsoft warned it would terminate their right to ship the Windows 95 operating system if they tampered with the browser, according to court documents. Under a preliminary injunction issued late Thursday, Microsoft can no longer require computer makers to ship the browser as a condition for licensing Windows 95. But while Netscape hinted of a new round of ''aggressive'' pricing to lure computer makers back into its fold, Microsoft's browser is free of charge, and the latest version released in October, Internet Explorer 4.0, has won strong reviews. Microsoft spokesman Greg Shaw said 70 percent of computer makers already ship IE 4.0 even though licensing agreements currently in force only require them to ship the previous version 3.0 of the browser. ''It's our overwhelming experience that our customers want an Internet browser when they get a computer from us,'' said T.R. Reid, a spokesman for Dell Computer Corp., the second-biggest PC maker. ''We provide IE 4.0 because we can do it easily, we can do it conveniently, we can do it free of charge.'' No. 1 PC maker Compaq Computer Corp. and No. 3 International Business Machines Corp. also plan to continue shipping IE with Windows 95, officials of the two companies said. Some computer makers preload both major browserss as part of a standard software package, and many give customers the option of requesting the Netscape browser for an extra charge to reflect the software company's licensing fee. Otherwise, customers would have to buy Netscape's software separately or download it from the Internet, giving Microsoft an advantage that has helped it gain browser market share. Microsoft, however, says that most of its browser customers get the software through other channels led by Internet service providers. Consumers can also get the software free off the Internet, and Microsoft provides free licenses to thousands of corporate and government users.