From hungary-online-owner Wed Nov 1 19:41:54 1995 Received: from localhost (daemon@localhost) (fnord) by nando.yak.net (8.6.5/8.6.5) id TAA14251 for hungary-online-out31415; Wed, 1 Nov 1995 19:41:54 -0800 Received: from localhost (daemon@localhost) (fnord) by nando.yak.net (8.6.5/8.6.5) id TAA14241; Wed, 1 Nov 1995 19:41:41 -0800 Received: from ddt@lsd.com () via =-=-=-=-=-= for hungary-online@hungary.yak.net (14239) Received: from netcom14.netcom.com (root@netcom14.netcom.com [192.100.81.126]) (fnord) by nando (8.6.5/8.6.5) with ESMTP id TAA14235 for ; Wed, 1 Nov 1995 19:41:05 -0800 Received: from [129.46.82.80] by netcom14.netcom.com (8.6.12/Netcom) id TAA14959; Wed, 1 Nov 1995 19:40:26 -0800 Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" X-Sender: Level Seven Design X-PGP-KeyID-Fprnt: 4AAF00E5 - 30D81F3484E6A83F 6EC8D7F0CAB3D265 X-PGP: http://www-swiss.ai.mit.edu/htbin/pks-extract-key.pl?op=get&search=lsd X-Floppyright: (f)1995 LSD.com _ Unlicensed retransmission prohibited. Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 19:40:29 -0800 To: From: Dave Del Torto Subject: (HOL) [FYI] "we may even charge for it" Sender: owner-Hungary-Online@hungary.yak.net Precedence: bulk Reply-To: Hungary-Online@hungary.yak.net [Hey, can't Microsoft come up with its _own_ damn code-names? I mean, gee, this "Blackbird" thing...wasn't that Apple's widely-known code-name for the first '040 PowerBooks that later became the 5xx series? :) -dave] ................................. cut here ................................. 29 October 1995 Microsoft bids to monopolize Web software A SHOWDOWN in cyberspace is about to occur between Bill Gates's Microsoft and the Internet software firm Netscape. The battle is over the future publishing standard of the Internet's World Wide Web, used all over the world, writes Mark Prigg. The Web uses a publishing system called Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML), which Netscape supports in its new browser, Navigator 2.0. But next year Microsoft is planning to introduce Blackbird, a completely new standard for Web publishing, supported at present only by Microsoft. The company claims this will allow far better Web designs than is possible with HTML. Blackbird was thought to be a publishing standard for use only with the Microsoft Network, introduced with the launch of Windows 95 in August. However, The Sunday Times can now reveal that Blackbird is being developed to become a rival standard to HTML for use on the Internet. "Blackbird could well be come a threat to HTML in the future," says John Wood, on-line director of Prince, an information-technology consultancy and a user of the beta (test) version of Blackbird. "Once users see how much better content is when created and viewed in Blackbird, HTML's dominance of the Internet may well end." To get Blackbird to work, completely new software must be installed on the server computers that publish Web pages and on PCs used to browse the Net. Microsoft now says it plans to have software (running Windows NT) that allow servers to use both Blackbird and HTML on the Internet and the Micro soft Network before the end of this year, in readiness for Blackbird's launch in January, when Blackbird-compatible browser software for PCs will be distributed. Blackbird means that both Internet and Microsoft Network users will find themselves in need of new software. Neither existing Internet browser soft ware (such as Netscape Navigator) nor Microsoft Network software (part of Windows 95) is compatible with Blackbird. Microsoft says it "hasn't yet decided" how the new Black bird browsing software is to be distributed. "We may even charge for it," says Jeremy Gittins, UK product manager for Microsoft Network. But Internet experts warn of blood on the floor as the two systems slug it out for dominance. Microsoft could also face howls of protests if it decides to charge for its Blackbird browser. "Blackbird could cause huge problems for users," says Shan Sood, a research analyst at Dataquest. "If Microsoft decides to charge any more than a nominal fee for it, they could be in trouble. The whole reason many people bought Windows 95 was because of the inbuilt access to Microsoft Network and the Internet. If that is no longer the case in January, they may think `why did I buy this?'. "What seems strange is that Microsoft has kept this quiet from users," adds Sood. Microsoft also plans to use Blackbird to produce on-line services, CD-Roms and even a series of interactive television programmes. Those who have run the beta version of Blackbird are quick to point out that the big advantage of Blackbird is its ease of use. "Blackbird will allow de signers to create on-line services, rather than programmers," says Wood. Microsoft claims that Blackbird will "change the nature of on-line services completely", and Gittins goes so far as to say "it will be the next revolution in on-line services". However, Netscape also has a new suite of application dev elopment tools, called Live Wire!, waiting in the wings. The inclusion of Sun's Java, an on-line multimedia application programming language, means that Microsoft may not have an easy ride establishing Black bird as a standard. Blackbird forms part of a complete rethink of Microsoft's on-line service strategy. Many believe this was forced on the company by the poor take-up of Microsoft Network. The fledgling service has been criticised for its lack of content and poor performance, with many users experiencing long delays in connecting. ############# # This message to Hungary-Online@hungary.yak.net # was from Dave Del Torto # # To unsubscribe, # send "unsubscribe" to # An announcement-only subscription (less volume) is available # at # Send mail to for more information, # or to if you need human assistance. #############