Microsoft is impressively stupid. Back in the day they were kicking ass and taking names. Everyone had to be on a MS platform to do anything. Then Apple started gaining market share and MS shat a few mouse trails. (Launched an error-laden OS; spent millions on un-aired ads.)

As I sling interweb code for a living (theoretically) my relations with MS have been more uncomfortable. Their browser (set as default and installed with their OSs) is terrible. It’s a one-legged, fat guy trying to keep up in a pick-up game of 3-on-3 with off-season NBA rookies.

More stretched analogies: It reads CSS like a cranky, dyslexic toddler with only one eye. It complies to standards like Jeffrey Dahmer complied to social norms (too soon?). It creates beautiful web pages like this creates great portraits.

MS is coming out with a new OS that’s supposed to fix their Vista problem. I’m sure it comes with a browser trying hard to be dismal. I’ve heard mixed reviews (read: bad) and then there’s a post from Ken Sipe.

Apparently, MS is making it difficult to download the beta version of Windows 7. Instead of trying to infiltrate other markets they seem to be trying to hold onto as many already-users as possible. (Which, I assume, is 93.75% businesses too terrified to ditch their Outlook and Office Suite.)