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Microsoft Plans News Aggregator

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the following-google's-business-plan dept.

wyldeone writes "ZDNet says Microsoft is planning on creating a news aggregation service similar to Google's Google News. It will draw headlines from over 4,800 sites. It will also provide customized feeds, similar to Googles News alerts. Here is the beta version of the site."

6 of 265 comments (clear)

  1. What's new? by BWJones · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So, what is new here? Seriously.........Is this another case of Microsoft coming late to the game and saying "Oh, well, we have one too", or is this another case of Microsoft publicizing they have something in the works that will come out any time now to keep other folks from entering into the fray? Come on, if you are going to get into the game, offer something new. For instance, take a page from the Apple playbook when Apple realized a little late that mp3s and online music was the way to go, Apple put some thought and effort into things and came up with not only the iTunes music store, but also the iPod. Both of which were nice innovations and spurred other companies to improve their products.

    From the looks of Microsoft's news bot site here it appears that ther innovations are links to Hotmail, shopping, other proprietary properties and news programs of either Microsoft and NBC, and notably in the Science/Health categories, we have business news about companies such as Boston Scientific rather than real Science news. It's also more bandwidth intensive than the Google news site.

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  2. It's about time by foistboinder · · Score: 5, Funny

    Finally a news service uncluttered with
    anti-Microsoft stories. :)

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    Yet Another Web Site
  3. 4800? by isdfnmo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Who needs 4800 news sources?

    I have BBC, NYTimes, a few industry-specific, a few 'for interest' (e.g. Economist, New Scientist, Reason.com), a few for sport and one for UK TV Listings. Maybe a dozen tops and I am one of the most well-informed people I know.

    Too much information = too easy to lose the salient stuff.

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    1. Re:4800? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Maybe it is to actually get news without spin? A lot of those news sources are actually foreign papers (including Al-Jazeera on Google's site). It is nice sometimes to get a different point of view. Of course, on the other side, a lot of times 90% of those sources are just pulling the same exact AP or Reuters release verbatim.

  4. Re:horrible by hedge_death_shootout · · Score: 5, Funny

    yet more "innovation" from Microsoft - have the EVER thought of ANYTHING original.

    Let's see...
    An MS-bashing post.
    On Slashdot.
    Castigating MS for stealing ideas.
    How original!

  5. Current headlines... by gad_zuki! · · Score: 5, Funny

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    Office XP: Best Software Ever!

    Internet Explorer Holes Largley Fiction

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    Better Computing Through Crashes

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    etc