Delicious Irony from Microsoft Purchase

[James]

Recently MS spent a billion dollars buying patents from AOL. What didn't make many waves in the tech news was the fact that MS also bought a very small division of AOL... namely... (are you ready for this?! LOL): NETSCAPE! Yup! MS now owns Netscape. What they'll do with it is beyond me. Maybe they'll have a mock funeral or something.

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[Antony]

I didn't even know Microsoft is piling up patents from AOL.

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[James]

Yeah... I've forgotten how many... I think it was around 800 or so. Remember too that MS has 8% of Facebook and it could be that they'll use these patents to not only prevent lawsuits but to also help FB in its fight with Yahoo. MS is no friend of Yahoo's.

But I thought it was pretty amusing to think that MS now owned Netscape.

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[Antony]

Well, during 1997's Macworld in Don's beautiful Boston. Two things (against Don's approval) happened:
1. Steve Jobs returned to Apple (as interim CEO)
2. Microsoft rescued the then financial troubled Apple with investment of US$150 million. (Microsoft bought US$150 million of Apple stock at market price. It was non-voting shares.)

Steve Jobs did say that investment was the best investment Microsoft had ever made. From Apple's perspective, that investment rescued Apple from near death.

The fruity designed iMac G3 released the following year, since then, Apple started gaining more market share.

Oh, one thing from Macworld Boston 1997 that should have Don's approval was:
Microsoft Internet Explorer became the default browser on Macintosh. (Although Netscape Communicator was still included with all Mac and in OS 8, 9 etc.)

Back to AOL and Netscape
Personally, I think Microsoft was into other patents rather than Netscape's.

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[James]

The Apple rescue is also ironic given the outcome.

MS did not have to buy that small division (Netscape) of AOL in order to obtain the patents they wanted. They chose to do this and the real question is: why?

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[Antony]

I haven't been digging up the story on what exactly Microsoft bought. Been sick (flu) again.

Anyhow, if Netscape patents were interested by Microsoft, knowing that Netscape (browser) in now in charge of Mozilla.org (although Mozilla hates mentioning the link with Netscape) sans a few third party technologies not carried to Mozilla due to license agreement. I would guess that Microsoft might be into Netscape's patent (perhaps also technology) on server side software.

Btw, iPad is a great device to use while lying in bed.

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[James]

LOL... I just bought an iPad and I love it. Decided to sell me Kindle Fire. It was just too limited for what I wanted to do. And yes.... the iPad in bed is perfect.

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[Antony]

So you use Retina Display while your wife uses the regular display... I don't think that works well.

(Laurent is very happy with my original iPad (1st gen).)

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