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Give Mac Explorer to the People?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the zen-and-the-art-of-public-image dept.

An anonymous reader writes "In an article on the BBC News site, Bill Thompson suggests that Microsoft release the source for IE:Mac to the world so that others can continue to develop the product. While this may be a pleasant fiction, Microsoft does seem to be making an effort to change their image. Could we see more OSS interaction from the software giant in the near future?"

8 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. damn! by porkThreeWays · · Score: 3, Funny

    Damn, it's like right when they just give out the foot in mouth awards we get a gem like this.

    --
    If an officer ever threatens to taze you, say you have a pacemaker.
  2. Other Suggestions by BodhiCat · · Score: 5, Funny

    Other Suggestions:

    China should withdraw from Tibet and allow the Tibetans to construct a Disneyland in Lhasa, since Tibet is already becoming little more than a tourist trap.

    Bush should withdraw from Iraq and let the war be carried out by our powerful allies from Togo and Lithuania.

    The Road Runner should let the Coyote have him for dinner.

    They should develop a snow ball in hell that would survive for an extended period of time.

    Etc.

    1. Re:Other Suggestions by ChairmanMeow · · Score: 3, Funny

      Bush should withdraw from Iraq and let the war be carried out by our powerful allies from Togo and Lithuania.

      You forgot Poland!

      --
  3. MS and OSS? by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 2, Funny
    Could we see more OSS interaction from the software giant in the near future?"

    Yes - right after the FAA give type approval for flying pigs.

    --
    Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
  4. Run the Win32 version of IE? by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 2, Funny
    An alternative strategy: instead of open sourcing a microsoft application perhaps use an open source win32?

    Regular slashdot readers woule be aware that the 'red box' dream of rhapsody is to some degree being realised in the form of Darwine, itself based on wine

    Don't hold your breath relying on Microsoft to be a good Mac community member and open sourcing this 'legacy' browser. If true IE compatibility is required then at least in theory it is possible to run the real thing under wine in OS X.

    The advantage of this strategy is that by contributing to wine's completeness, other Windows applications will be runnable within OS X. :)

    Sure you'll be running a Windows app, but you'll be able to browse all the IE-dependant intranet webapps your Windows XP colleagues use, from the sanctity of your Mac environment.

  5. Will We? by paradizelost · · Score: 3, Funny

    No.

    --
    "In a world without walls and fences, who needs Windows and Gates?"
  6. Re:Or not? by hzs202 · · Score: 2, Funny

    How about we just let Mac IE die and keep gathering support for Firefox?

    I think Mac IE is already dead which is the only reasons M$ would allow its source to be Open. To illustrate this picture the situation similar to "the viewing" of the body before it's burial.

  7. Yes... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yes, let microsoft release the source, then we might be able to fork it :)