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It was far more than just shipping IE. MS also did things like use their sales agreements with PC manufacturers to block Netscape from being preinstalled on new

It was far more than just shipping IE. MS also did things like use their sales agreements with PC manufacturers to block Netscape from being preinstalled on new computers. Back in the days of dial up, this was a very big deal. And that's just the tip of the iceberg in terms of things Microsoft did to prevent Netscape from being able to compete. Do some reading on it. Microsoft absolutely engaged in a pattern of predatory behavior that was only possible due to their dominant market position. The way Microsoft tended to act with blatant impunity toward their competitors is a lot of why they were so hated in the 90s.

scholia 13y ago
That was a false claim by Jim Barksdale, who was running Netscape at the time. All of the contested OEMs shipped Netscape, and Microsoft eventually won the browser case 2-1 on appeal. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19980623&slug=2757664 http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=199... As a matter of fact, Netscape's business practices did more to block the distribution of Navigator than Microsoft's. For example, it wouldn't allow third-party sites to distribute it, and at one point it withdrew the standalone browser to try to force the adoption of its internet suite. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netscape_Communicator http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netscape_Communicator Microsoft's biggest concern wasn't with OEMs bundling Netscape (because it was investing in making IE a better browser) but with the idea of OEMs removing IE, which Microsoft regarded as part of the operating system.