Just another piece of evidence that Microsoft is out to get the rest of the software industry, especially Netscape. I've never seen anything this blatant, either.

I can't wait until Netscape 5 comes out. It's gonna blow the pants off IE 5, and Microsoft is gonna learn what a good web browser really is!

You know what idiots would do when they found out that they are losers? They apply violence to the winners.

That happen everyday in the bars and pubs around the world. Normally there are somebody besides to encourage the use of violence.

What did the people planting the easter egg do when they knew that their brower is a loser? They wanted to use violence.

And even worst, they do not have the crazy "courage" of idiots to use real violence to release their anger about themselves (which is projected to our lovely lizard). Instead, they plant a violent easter eggs, and got excited whether there are some people in the world going to discover.

Maybe they need Billy Crystal to heal them.

I hate this company, and it's sad. On a cheery note, I sent this to the Department of Justice (they have an e-mail link on their US vs. Microsoft home page) in hopes that they might at least take it into account. It really is an admission after all.

I thought the easter egg was really coold here in my nice cozy IE5 NOT!

The reason why I downloaded it was because the piece of shit IE4 kept crashing and IE5 was supposed to be more stable. Well it doesn't crash, but there are a lot of little quirks in it.

Don't you just love being a developer and having to have IE on your computer!

Microsoft the monopolist crushes everyone

Don't forget Netscape's long standing easter egg:

"And the beast shall come forth surrounded by a roiling cloud of vengeance. The house of the unbelievers shall be razed and they shall be scorched to the earth. Their tags shall blink until the end of days. from The Book of Mozilla, 12:10"

Looks like this will come true when Mozilla is ready for release. (December 10, 1999?)

So what if they put an easter egg making fun of Netscape?

Are we not bigger than that?

At least it shows that microserfs have a sense of humour, ignore the strategic managment and marketing guys at MS, the guys coding are there to make a living like most of us. If they show a little sense of competition and humour, let them enjoy themselves. One day they will wrest themselves free of the MS mindset and may even become our brothers in arms (or keyboards, as it were).

It is silly to think that this little easter egg means MS is really out to destroy the world.

What I wanna know is...

how much extra size did that add to IE5?

W

I just installed IE5 for Solaris and does not come with this Easter egg. Bummer. I think despite all competition it is pretty funny.

Hmmm...IE5 crushing Mozilla....well, we should at least let them have wild dreams, shouldn't we?:-)

Anybody wanna write an easter egg into Mozilla to counter that, but do it with class? I would, but I don't know enough C++ to do that...

... I can't recall exactly how one brought up the Egg, but I definately remember WinWord 2 having some sort of anti-WordPerfect thing hidden in the about box, and an early version of Excel for Windows had an anti-Lotus one.

This is just a little harmless joke from the IE5 programmers, we can carry on the game by adding something similar to mozilla if we wanted. Its all about fun.

I cant believe that some of you think this proves MS's monopoly. Why dont you try submitting meaningful things to the DOJ like the fact that MS wont let Micron and Gateway demo linux?

But anyways, keep up the great work coding on mozilla, and go ahead and add something that we can giggle and cheer about to apprunner.

*excuse any typos, still learning dvorak

I think some people here are overreacting, I hate Microsoft's evil business practices but I think this easter egg is still in good taste.

Sorry this is way off topic, but YAY Dvorak!

Oh yeah, and the easter egg is harmless. Laugh about it and build a better browser. I like the idea about putting in an easter egg to one-up them though.

IE5 sucks! It cant even display themes.org. I downloaded Communicator and my sys admin blew up at me. he is such a bitch. i hate school. linux rocks

If you add easter eggs just make sure to make them a ./configure option. The ability choose to have them or not. Huh, what a novel idea. Another jab at Microsoft, Mozilla +1.

I think it's actually kind of funny that they "stomp" Mozilla when, and I heard this somewhere on this site I think, IE's help page somewhere actually credits Mozilla as their source code for IE. I sent that to DOJ just on the spur of the moment, but you're right it really doesn't prove anything except programmers with attitude :)

I shouldn't say I hate Microsoft. They've been good for Seattle as an industry, and I love Seattle. They have some great programmers. However, I do not like the swine running the show, or the loss of competition (though the ironic thing is with AOL buying NS, competition may well have been given a swift kick in the ass). It was fun to watch them squirm on the stand (or in Gates' case, in his deposition.

As for Easter Eggs being configurable, that would defeat the whole purpose. They are meant to be found accidentally. Were there any in Netscape we are aware of?

There are a few little things in Netscape that might be called easter eggs if they weren't so trivial. about:jwz, for example.

Not like the doom-imitation hidden in Excel 97, for example, which you have to know is part of what's making it a pig.

making it a pig? you mean making the program a memory hog? that would be damned interesting to see, but my excel is part of office 97, so it might not be on there.

okay, so I saw the ee. I want to know how in hell someone would be able to single out the path to get there!

You have to admit, this is funny.

I like the idea of making the egg a configure option.

I dont want these egss to cause mozilla to be bigger than it realy is.

I think the Mozilla team is worried enough about browser footprint to keep easter egg type things to a minimum.

25MB for a stupid, buggy browser is big enough to crush/crash anything.

Hey, no wonder they didn't have time to be CSS1 compliant!

Well, I couldn't see the easter egg. Every time I got to the "Search" button, IE5 crashed. But then, this is nothing new. It won't even load a lot of pages out there, including the Microsoft "Start" page. In this respect, it's even buggier than the beta.

It shows only that they are afraid :)) Actually, I haven't seen it, because I haven't downloaded IE5 (There seems to be a problem with IE5 and Visual Studio, so as a developer I have to give it a miss LOL), but somewhere I have a photo of Mozilla on the IE logo, so I guess this is their way of getting back at Netscape for spoiling their previous 'joke'.

Well lets keep in mind the point of this and not get easly distracted, I hope the developers keep all the non-viable code out. EE's are just a waste of time and resources, bottom line. I rather have there time spent on more productive things like bug killing and features. but thats just me. Also, any of you try that win98-lite program? is it worth uninstalling ie4 from w98? I personally found a way to get most of the ie4 code out of w98 myself without using w95's explorer.exe, its a hack and slash methond but works fine. Basicicly drop down to DOS mode and DELTREE all the ie4 dirs and files( eg: ie main dir, cookie dir, channel dir, etc). then reboot, use somthing like cleansweep to kill all the registry entries that point to ie4 and boom. for the most part its gone. I found out tho this method works 100% if you do it from a clean install. if you try this after u use ie4 for a bit w98 chokes sometimes using this method.

Howdy all. I checked out the Internet Exploiter 5 EE last night... Yeah, I would expect as much from a corporation like that.

Thinking about en earlier comment on the possibility of EE's bloating-up Mozilla, I was curious about something: What is the average size of an EE in a browser like IE5 or a NS4.5 ? I highly doubt a modest EE can make Mozilla 5 bloated... or maybe I am just dreaming.

Hmmmmm, as IE5 setup crashes on my machine (even after a vanilla insatll of Win95) Navigator has no competition as far as I'm concerned (this isn't a cunning part of the NS 4.51 update is it?) No eggs for me then!

Howdy all. I checked out the Internet Exploiter 5 EE last night... Yeah, I would expect as much from a corporation like that.

Thinking about en earlier comment on the possibility of EE's bloating-up Mozilla, I was curious about something: What is the average size of an EE in a browser like IE5 or a NS4.5 ? I highly doubt a modest EE can make Mozilla 5 bloated... or maybe I am just dreaming.

Oh come on people!! It's a *JOKE*! Laugh! All this "this proves they are evil" is just silly! Get over it!

"The house of the unbelievers shall be razed and they shall be scorched to the earth."

maybe we should extend "about:mozilla" with making some fun with IE5. But of cource that wouldn't make us better than the MS-suckers...

:-)

I tried the egg on my beta (i think) version of IE5 and it did nothing.. 5.00.0910.1309IC

haha! look at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/nsusers/default.htm and look at the people being blown away by IE5's speed :P

I remember when MS Access v1 came out. The egg in that one was a lightning bolt striking a couple of ducks (Pair-o-ducks - geddit?)

I like the way eggs are handled in communicator... the about:whatever syntax works well for me...

I like Internet exploder. Please tell me how to get the easter egg, me too. Please!

We should be worried only when Microsoft stops making anti-Mozilla easter eggs.

Tom B.- were you to take a look at the top of the thread, you would see the instructions for the egg.

BTW, at least us morons can spell the word "is"

Only a joke? Ever seen MS laughing when they have serious competition? After they have crushed and destroyed the competition, yes,... BTW, if MS can have 'jokes' about Mozilla, then why shouldn't these guys have some fun with IE??? Shouldn't MS get a life then, instead of writing all those easter eggs about the competition? O, and, err, MS haters hate MS because they're arrogant, power hungry and they can't write decent software, not just because it's MS. Plus: they always have to mess with standards... which in it's own is enough to hate them.

anyone as clueless as I was about this about:mozilla thing should go to http://help.netscape.com/search?NS-search-page=document&NS-rel-doc-name=/kb/client/970513-4.html&NS-query=product%3Ccontains%3Ecommunicator%20AND%20about%3Amozilla&NS-search-type=NS-boolean-query&NS-collection=Client&NS-docs-matched=1&NS-doc-number=1 and check it out. NS keeps their easter eggs on their servers, not on our hard drives, which is genius and solves the whole question of whether or not their will be easter eggs for Mozilla. Answer: probably on a web site somewhere, where it belongs.

Here's a lot more easter eggs (ie 5 included) http://www.eeggs.com/

Just a thought: According to www.eeggs.com, IE maps "about:" text in its 'location' window to URL's via registry entries (which are listed on www.eeggs.com). There is one in particular which maps "about:mozilla" to a blue screen. Now, what if installation of Netscape were to change a couple of those registry entries to point to somewhere else...?

Good lord! I can't believe people are being so defensive about this. It was a nice little joke planted by a few techies that wanted to have some fun. Big deal.

Damn, people. Yes, easter eggs are annoying at times, but they're a fact of s/w development by now. Hell, there are websites with easter eggs. Anyway, it's amusing that IE5's is a mozilla-crusher, no big deal. And, ultimately, for the time being, IE4 has Nav4 beat in many ways. Here's hoping Moz5 is godlike, but ... for now, we'll just have to wait and see.

You NS guys are pretty petty, and show your technical vulnerability through you lack of a sense of humor. No wonder AOL will be cutting jobs...

I always thought easter eggs that list names are a way to verify just who REALLY worked on the project, so at a job interview you could have THE SOFTWARE confirm you were part of the project.

Who Cares? Why don't you all kill yourselves?

Since the EE is only DHTML and "behaviours" it isnt bloating at all. Also, there is NO indication that that is a lizard. And lastly, it would be soooo cool is you would reply and start a war within a war. I imagine they threw down the guantlet to you to see what you could come up with. However its clear your paranoia will let them win the "adult" and "humour" award.

Chill out!!! IE5 is an excellent browser! instead of bitchen around why dont you all help code some of the new Netscape and prove your point instead of sitting here crying to others....

Are people still responding on this thread? I see the MS boot-lickers have found it too. Time for a new topic!

I say let Microsoft just keep on thinking they have us beat. They havent seen anything like Mozilla. Ive been looking at the M3 and I am impressed. Of course if you guys would get off your butts and finish this baby, we could microsoft choke on its bile a lot sooner.

Netscape doesn't need to attack Microsoft with Easter Eggs: they have the DOJ to do their dirty work. Perhaps when the Moz team learns component architecture and combines it with business foresight they'll start producing code worth shipping.

Yeah the Moz team is gonna blow the IE team away just as soon as they stop losing developers and start shipping a product.

The day an Easter Egg has influence on the DOJ is the day I move to another country.

I am not a fan of either but I am getting tired of all the whinning. My guess is you are all democrats.

To those who are having stability problems with IE5: I wonder how many of you ran the beta first. I would not be too surprised if a lot of your problems were caused by traces of the beta install left lurking around... I've been running IE5 since the day it came out, on a generic Celeron-400 machine running Win98 installed clean, with all of MS's patches as of IE5 installed before installing IE5. Have had perhaps two IE5 related crashes in the weeks since its release. It's definitely faster than IE4, and it launches faster than NS 5 (though it must be granted that this is probably due to the inclusion of most of its code in the desktop code-- less to launch).

If you ran the beta, try wiping all traces of it from your system before you install the real product. (I'm no expert on doing that; you may have to wipe your hard drive first...)

I think that IE5 is going to whip the ass of any new browser. The boys have gotten it right with this one.

I've seen this thing before. Early versions of Micros~1 Access had an Easter egg where lightning zapped two ducks (a "pair 'o ducks -- get it?).

You guys are dumb. I can't stand all the Microsoft bashing! Microsoft is trying to make money just like Netscape and every other company. It's just a stupid joke!

If Netscape put a similar easter egg in their browser toward IE, you'd laugh at it. So would I. Its a joke. So lightin' up!

What's the big deal? Does anyone remember when some Microsoft employees put the Explorer logo on Netscape property as a prank? Now, that was a 'jab.'

As for the IE vs Netscape battle, it's OVER. Jamie Zawinski, one of the original hackers at Netscape quit in disgust recently, stating also that Netscape 5.0 was way, way behind schedule.

I've used Explorer 5.0. It loads pages a lot faster than Netscape, and ultimately (with my puny connection speeds), that's what matters to me.

p.s. Microsoft haters have apparently never bought Microsoft stock. Too bad...

Developers should be glad to see the marked improvements in the IE5 Browser. We listened and produced. And about that Easter egg thing...Well we thought that it would inspire Netscape to laugh a little.

IE5 violates a long standing rule that a new version should at least be back compatible.

What once worked in IE4 - Java applets, for example - will not work the same, or at all in IE5.

Which makes IE5 worthless as far as I'm concerned. I'm tired of Microsoft pulling this kind of crap, and making designers rewrite their code, or discard special effects.

I'm not going to bend to MicroSoft's arrogance. I'm trashing IE5 and will get rid of everything Microsoft this year.

Welcome Linux.

And with Netscape and AOL and others working together, Explorer's days are numbered.

Good Riddance.

IE5 violates a long standing rule that a new version should at least be back compatible.

What once worked in IE4 - Java applets, for example - will not work the same, or at all in IE5.

Which makes IE5 worthless as far as I'm concerned. I'm tired of Microsoft pulling this kind of crap, and making designers rewrite their code, or discard special effects.

I'm not going to bend to MicroSoft's arrogance. I'm trashing IE5 and will get rid of everything Microsoft this year.

Welcome Linux.

And with Netscape and AOL and others working together, Explorer's days are numbered.

Good Riddance.

IE5 violates a long standing rule that a new version should at least be back compatible.

What once worked in IE4 - Java applets, for example - will not work the same, or at all in IE5.

Which makes IE5 worthless as far as I'm concerned. I'm tired of Microsoft pulling this kind of crap, and making designers rewrite their code, or discard special effects.

I'm not going to bend to MicroSoft's arrogance. I'm trashing IE5 and will get rid of everything Microsoft this year.

Welcome Linux.

And with Netscape and AOL and others working together, Explorer's days are numbered.

Good Riddance.

IE5 violates a long standing rule that a new version should at least be back compatible.

What once worked in IE4 - Java applets, for example - will not work the same, or at all in IE5.

Which makes IE5 worthless as far as I'm concerned. I'm tired of Microsoft pulling this kind of crap, and making designers rewrite their code, or discard special effects.

I'm not going to bend to MicroSoft's arrogance. I'm trashing IE5 and will get rid of everything Microsoft this year.

Welcome Linux.

And with Netscape and AOL and others working together, Explorer's days are numbered.

Good Riddance.

Although I dislike the Microsoft Corporation for its not spending enough time error testing, I DO like IE much more over Netscape. IE 5 lets me do things I would never even dream of 2 years ago, and old netscape is left in the dust. I doubt Bill Gates had anything to do with it, and I'm sure it brightened up the programmers' day. So give it a rest Netscape users.

Well...whether IE5 sucks or not is completely relevant to a persons preference. To be perfectly honest I use both NS and IE for different applications. I am happy with IE5, but I also look forward to NS new release. So call me a fence strddler, I'm happy.

you need to lighten up. It was just a joke. Microsoft cant help they are the best, thats just the way it is. Wake up.

I want to know if people hate MS and their software so much, why do they use it? You can't say you don't have a choice, because you do. Developers chose to make your pages IE compatable, but you don't have to. MS wouldn't get to be industry leaders without users, and the people who go around saying they don't like it and that netscape will kick their what ever, are still using both browsers which makes the whole browser war a bit silly. People talk about taking sides, but they still use the 'other' browser, why?. As for this egg thing, If you cant take a little joke like that, which was hidden anyway, you really need to get a grip because it happens all the time on and off the net, you just don't always know about it.

C mon what's up with you it is a silly joke. Microslave is very very afraid of Mozilla that is obvious. And we know that it is going to kick IE5's A**. But I think now it's time to get something to brwose with from Mozilla or Netcape. We have been waiting long enough.

Okay I just have one thing to say. I have read a bunch of whooey about this easter egg thing. I have to tell it the way I see it. Most of the Netscape users are as whiny as the Up execs at Netscape. They are out to take over the world (whine), We want our share too (whine), Let's sue (whine). Get real and get a life. If it wasn't for Bill, none of you people would in the computer field would be making any real money, Because there wouldn't really be a computer field. He made it affordable and a whole lot easier to use by putting these things on as many desks as he has. Think about that. By the way how many of you use Netscape on Windows95/98/NT. And I'm not afraid to sign this with my own name.

In response to Geoff a few responses up, web developers are forced to make their pages compatible with IE 5 because, even if we hate microsoft and despite the poor quality of its browser, other peole use it. I you want your web site to reach the maximum amount of people, you must make it compatible so as all the end users can veiw it, no matter what browser they use. Now I might incorporate a few features that only work in netscape into a personal page, and ask the user to download netscape if they didnt already have it, but when I design pages for buisnesses, you have to make them compatible, if a IE user goes to your site and it says that they must download navigator, they are most likely going to just leave your site and move on. So yes, we could write code that only works under netscape, but at the cost of loosing alot of customers.

In response to the easter egg, I think you guys are over reacting a little. Its just some fellow programmers having a little fun and competitive spirit. I dont see it as microsoft trying to take over all competition at all.

Good On IE5, Netscape really blows, for me its..

A. Slow B. Crashes hell of a lot more then IE does. C. My sites look better and have better graphics specially when dithering. D. IE can actually count. It doesnt make a 5 pixel frame into 4 or 3 or 10 cause it feels like it. E. When setting widths to table and coloumns in table it keeps them there unlike Netscape.

Good On IE5, Netscape really blows, for me its..

A. Slow B. Crashes hell of a lot more then IE does. C. My sites look better and have better graphics specially when dithering. D. IE can actually count. It doesnt make a 5 pixel frame into 4 or 3 or 10 cause it feels like it. E. When setting widths to table and coloumns in table it keeps them there unlike Netscape.

Good On IE5, Netscape really blows, for me its..

A. Slow B. Crashes hell of a lot more then IE does. C. My sites look better and have better graphics specially when dithering. D. IE can actually count. It doesnt make a 5 pixel frame into 4 or 3 or 10 cause it feels like it. E. When setting widths to table and coloumns in table it keeps them there unlike Netscape.

I tried your steps to get the easter egg, but my IE5 crashed. Is there any other way to get the amin without crasing IE5?

I tried your steps to get the easter egg, but my IE5 crashed. Is there any other way to get the amin without crasing IE5?

The easter egg was done in good humor. It is just friendly competition. If anything, it proves to the DOJ that there is competition out there. Anyway, IE5 is a better browser than Netscape. You guys all talk about the bugs in IE but what about the bugs in Netscape? For instance, sometimes the toolbar buttons turn white and aren't functional?

Idiots, all of you! Especially those who have posted the *same* message over and over and over. We heard you the first time.

As for IE5...who cares if it's got a lame assed Easter egg in it? Anybody whose got the time and the hard drive space to install the damn thing should be given a medal. This "thing" is 50 megs! What the hell for?

Though this isn't the best reason to boycott IE5. The *best* reason is their divergance and bastardization of W3C standards. They're trying to do it with Java and they're doing it here.

Don't let the WWW become MSN.

Lynx rules!!!

As a long time Windows developer and user, I would personally like to thank all the MS bashers for their constructive criticisms of MS.

Now, please stop using Windows and Windows applications, and do your own thing (java, linux, whatever). Put your money where your mouth is, and change the industry (world?)

In the mean time, the rest of us who have to build real solutions for companies who must pay real money will continue to use the most appropriate tools for the most appropriate platform.

Please don't continue the childish whining about the "evil empire", etc. You find it easiest to simply blame the giant rather than go out and slay it. It's become clear to a lot of people through these threads the "quality" of developer that backs NSCP...

Who gives about the damn EE in IE5. It just proves that the programmer was out to have some fun after a long day of coding, and I am sure of this because I have first hand experience (mysterious!, who really put the bug in anyway.)

They also wanted to get a whole bunch of losers and nobodies into a webpage and watch the mayhem (another first-hand experience!)

If you all really had lives you'd go out and start programming or whatever the hell you do because you're wasting your time in here. ANd all you anti-MS people, hmm. I wonder where your jobs would be without Windows? If you can figure out that this webpage and everything it is about is a complete waste of time, maybe you could actually figure out how to beat Microsoft and IE like you're always talking about.

GET A LIFE YOU LOSER FREAKS

get a life you crackheads, or go jump off a cliff

Everyone says IE sucks, well, EXCUSE ME!. Have u ever checked out the 80%-100% processor usage that NN incounters while loading Java, its always the case that we have to shutdown every single instance of NN when there is an applet bug, though we had to go through the Task Menu, cuz NO OTHER WAY can stop the crazy thing from running!on the other hand, IE is a simple instantiable object. Simply don't talk about NN and being a developer!

"When you stop and think, consumers aren't complaining about our Internet products " I believe I am a consumer, AND I have a complaint, I do not think incorperating an easter egg with "gozilla" in being squished by the IE logo appropriate, especially since it still won't load half the pages on the internet "I guess someone thinks we did too well. " Being a little cocky are we?

The quotations are taken from Bill Gate's Letter at http://www.microsoft.com/freedomtoinnovate/inv_message.htm

You guys are all closed minded. A little bit of fun has been entered into by the guys writing IE5 and you blow it out of proportion. No offense, but if you don't like Microsoft, don't use the product. after all, all the latest games work on Linux, don't they ?

You guys are all closed minded. A little bit of fun has been entered into by the guys writing IE5 and you blow it out of proportion. No offense, but if you don't like Microsoft, don't use the product. after all, all the latest games work on Linux, don't they ?

Stop whining you Netscape wimps!

Message to Dave from Australia: As to the little crack about games working on Linux, I ask you to tell me what is the best selling game played... Quake it would be. Guess where it was created? Linux. The fact is most people who use computers are idiots and don't want to learn why they do what they do. As to the EE, I think people need to give up on MS bashing. Sure their products crash much too often, but as to my experience so does NS Communicator. Now don't get me wrong, I don't own any MS products because I can't stand rebooting every day. If you have nothing better to do than bash someone else, go read an assembler book, use good your favorite debugger and change what's wrong. It's illegal you say? Oh damn. Then make your own company and create your own damn products.

REDMOND, Wash. -- Microsoft Corporation today announced its intent to purchase, copyright, and upgrade God Himself. The new product would be named, predictably enough, "Microsoft God," and would be available to consumers sometime in late 1999, well before the millennium. "Too many people feel separated from God in today's world," said Dave McCavaugh, director of Microsoft's new Religions division. "Microsoft God will make our Lord more accessible, and will add an easy, intuitive user interface to Him, making Him not only easier to find, but easier to communicate with." The new Microsoft Religions line will be expanded to include a multitude of add-on products to Microsoft God, including: Microsoft Crusades: This conversion product will bring all worshipper accounts and prayer files over from previous versions of God, or from competing products like Buddha or Allah. Microsoft God for the World Wide Web: This product ties Microsoft God with Microsoft Internet Information Server, making our Lord accessible from the World Wide Web using a standard Web browser interface. It introduces several new Web technologies, including Dynamic Salvation and Active Prayer Pages (APP). Donations for the poor can be donated via a Secure Alms Server. Microsoft Prayers: Using a Windows-based WYSIWYG interface, this product will allow worshippers to construct effective prayers in a minimum of time. A Secure Prayer Channel technology allows guaranteed delivery of the prayer to Microsoft God servers, and Prayer Wizards enable users to construct new types of prayers with a minimum learning curve. Microsoft Savior: This product will allow worshippers to transfer their sins to its internal Vice Database. After a preset interval, the product will erase itself from the user's system and establish a clear line of secure communications to the user's Microsoft God server. Additionally, Microsoft is expected to announce a line of complimentary products for the new Religions line, which will enhance the functionality of the Microsoft God server product by providing a customized user interface. These interfaces will be based on popular religious sects, allowing worshippers to interact with the new God product in much the same way as the previous version. This line is expected to include Microsoft Protestant, Microsoft Catholicism, Microsoft Judaism (incompatible with Microsoft Savior),etc. Competitor Netscape Communications denies rumors that it is planning to release a competing product, Netscape Satan, that would attempt to render Microsoft God installations inoperable

REDMOND, Wash. -- Microsoft Corporation today announced its intent to purchase, copyright, and upgrade God Himself. The new product would be named, predictably enough, "Microsoft God," and would be available to consumers sometime in late 1999, well before the millennium. "Too many people feel separated from God in today's world," said Dave McCavaugh, director of Microsoft's new Religions division. "Microsoft God will make our Lord more accessible, and will add an easy, intuitive user interface to Him, making Him not only easier to find, but easier to communicate with." The new Microsoft Religions line will be expanded to include a multitude of add-on products to Microsoft God, including: Microsoft Crusades: This conversion product will bring all worshipper accounts and prayer files over from previous versions of God, or from competing products like Buddha or Allah. Microsoft God for the World Wide Web: This product ties Microsoft God with Microsoft Internet Information Server, making our Lord accessible from the World Wide Web using a standard Web browser interface. It introduces several new Web technologies, including Dynamic Salvation and Active Prayer Pages (APP). Donations for the poor can be donated via a Secure Alms Server. Microsoft Prayers: Using a Windows-based WYSIWYG interface, this product will allow worshippers to construct effective prayers in a minimum of time. A Secure Prayer Channel technology allows guaranteed delivery of the prayer to Microsoft God servers, and Prayer Wizards enable users to construct new types of prayers with a minimum learning curve. Microsoft Savior: This product will allow worshippers to transfer their sins to its internal Vice Database. After a preset interval, the product will erase itself from the user's system and establish a clear line of secure communications to the user's Microsoft God server. Additionally, Microsoft is expected to announce a line of complimentary products for the new Religions line, which will enhance the functionality of the Microsoft God server product by providing a customized user interface. These interfaces will be based on popular religious sects, allowing worshippers to interact with the new God product in much the same way as the previous version. This line is expected to include Microsoft Protestant, Microsoft Catholicism, Microsoft Judaism (incompatible with Microsoft Savior),etc. Competitor Netscape Communications denies rumors that it is planning to release a competing product, Netscape Satan, that would attempt to render Microsoft God installations inoperable

Yes! It has happened again! Another version with new possibilities and new options! Thank you!!! As an Internet developer I always had to build my pages and applications for basically 3 systems, but this was not really a problem, because at least they were more or less compatible, exept for Javascript stuff. (But why should there be a standard in a growing and developing language, that keeps changing every new release...) I have tested IE5 on a clean installed win98 Pc, and apart from the fact that it crashed all by itself 4 times in 2 hours, I must say it has some very new ideas of interpreting HTML, Java, Jscript, ect... Thank you!!! to MS for keeping my job a challenge! To all other people: Yes, indeed, Netscape Communicator is slower... But all the new features in IE5 were already included in Communicator 4.5 in some form or another. And if it isn't you can get a plug-in somewhere, so you can choose what your browser can and cannot do... Why do we have to put up with a system/program we have no saying over? Yes, it is true that MS made computers easy accessable for everybody. And they did a fairly good job at that... Work with it every day... The problem here is the consumer market. Everybody who buys a computer automatically gets windows. And since the consumers outnumber the people who make their money on computers by several billions, nothing will change... Too bad, but that's the way it is. Windows is easy to use and fairly stable as long as you don't do things other than using standard MS products... It is time for a revolution... BTW; did anyone know that if you convert Mr.Gates' name into binary code you get the number 666?

This is a good thing. It means M$ still has some creative programmers (or the M$ equivalent.) Sure, it's a very arrogant thing to do. Belittling poor old Mozilla. BTW: What ever became of Mosaic? Didn't Mozilla (MOsaic-godZILLA) crush them like the proverbial grape? Sure they're still around, but not heard from too often. At one time, not too long ago in fact, Netscape (project name- Mozilla) was the beast. Creating new standards, and forcing them on the public. But when M$ did what they're known for, they were chastised for putting forth the same pride/ arrogance as the competition. M$ didn't create the web-browser, in fact they didn't even create a very usable one until after 4 major releases. But they copied a popular idea, and made it prettier. Just like every other M$ product. Popular_Product + Bells&Whistles = Popular_Product_w/Bells&Whistles. This forces competition, which is good, Netscape needed this boost. Yes, M$ is inherently evil, but even they realize competition is good. It is alright to have a lot of money, just not all of it.

This is a good thing. It means M$ still has some creative programmers (or the M$ equivalent.) Sure, it's a very arrogant thing to do. Belittling poor old Mozilla. BTW: What ever became of Mosaic? Didn't Mozilla (MOsaic-godZILLA) crush them like the proverbial grape? Sure they're still around, but not heard from too often. At one time, not too long ago in fact, Netscape (project name- Mozilla) was the beast. Creating new standards, and forcing them on the public. But when M$ did what they're known for, they were chastised for putting forth the same pride/ arrogance as the competition. M$ didn't create the web-browser, in fact they didn't even create a very usable one until after 4 major releases. But they copied a popular idea, and made it prettier. Just like every other M$ product. Popular_Product + Bells&Whistles = Popular_Product_w/Bells&Whistles. This forces competition, which is good, Netscape needed this boost. Yes, M$ is inherently evil, but even they realize competition is good. It is alright to have a lot of money, just not all of it.

Sad. Very sad, the lot of you. Thousands of people are dying right now. Use Netscape, save the planet? as if. I am ashamed at the length of time that I spent reading this messageboard.

I honestly think that IE 5 rock! It is the best browser out there. And for all these idiots who hate microsoft, it makes me wonder what their problem is, here they are complaining about why Microsoft stinks, and then at the same time they're using Win 3.x/95/98/NT I think that Microsoft rules and if there aren't any companies that can beat them at anything, then they deserve to monopolize the industry. Microsoft RULES!!!

You netscape babies are just like the MAC babies. Which is better? Whatever the hell you want to use. Did everyone forget that Netscape was bought by AOHell? Poor underdog AOL, they are so much the underdog. (b/s). IF YOU DONT LIKE MS, DONT USE IT. They want to make money, just like every other business. I dont like AOL, so I do not use it. Besides Netscape is losing all its execs. So soon you will have something real to cry about.

BTW anyone seen ICQ99, AOL did wonderful things with that one... (yeah right)

You netscape babies are just like the MAC babies. Which is better? Whatever the hell you want to use. Did everyone forget that Netscape was bought by AOHell? Poor underdog AOL, they are so much the underdog. (b/s). IF YOU DONT LIKE MS, DONT USE IT. They want to make money, just like every other business. I dont like AOL, so I do not use it. Besides Netscape is losing all its execs. So soon you will have something real to cry about.

BTW anyone seen ICQ99, AOL did wonderful things with that one... (yeah right)

You netscape babies are just like the MAC babies. Which is better? Whatever the hell you want to use. Did everyone forget that Netscape was bought by AOHell? Poor underdog AOL, they are so much the underdog. (b/s). IF YOU DONT LIKE MS, DONT USE IT. They want to make money, just like every other business. I dont like AOL, so I do not use it. Besides Netscape is losing all its execs. So soon you will have something real to cry about.

BTW anyone seen ICQ99, AOL did wonderful things with that one... (yeah right)

You netscape babies are just like the MAC babies. Which is better? Whatever the hell you want to use. Did everyone forget that Netscape was bought by AOHell? Poor underdog AOL, they are so much the underdog. (b/s). IF YOU DONT LIKE MS, DONT USE IT. They want to make money, just like every other business. I dont like AOL, so I do not use it. Besides Netscape is losing all its execs. So soon you will have something real to cry about.

BTW anyone seen ICQ99, AOL did wonderful things with that one... (yeah right)

I WAS a netscape fan for the longest, but being a developer and looking at the market, I do believe IE will eventually win out over Netscape. Microsoft's Intr/Internet technologies (IIS, MTS, MSMQ, MSS, SMS, WSH) are growing everyday, now I hear something about Netscape abandoning it's efforts in that arena, don't know how true it is though.

At any rate, it doesn't matter who has the best product, the true difference is in the "Marketing Team"!!!

I think that you all are a bunch of loosers. MICROSOFT BABY!!!!!!! Netscape sucks and you know it.

I do have to agree with Big_T about Netscape not having as many features as IE. Microsoft is big and not worth messing with. I think that you Netscape loosers should not even bother with a PC and go with the inferrior MAC.

- The Time is near

As you can see by the above entries, there are people on the internet as immature as they come who choose to post such childish messages, and make others look bad. It's enough to make anyone sick.

I personally think MS is horrid. Big T is right, the TRUE difference is the "marketing team" ... Microsoft WILL get what they deserve; give it time. Netscape much better.

On a lighter note, the easter egg in IE 5 is humourous, but it's just honest fun from the people down at Microsoft. If an easter egg is truly going to alter someone's choice in browsers, maybe they shouldn't be on the Internet, they'll end up like the people who entered the immature entries above.

Anyone notice the data transmission at the tail end of the ii-ee? Has anyone found out what is being sent, and to which MS site?

That is cool. I was hoping though...Could the next one please show more gore and guts, blood etc, etc, etc hahahahahahahaha!! Microsoft Rules and everyone knows it...go get aol and enjoy your netscape...happy combination

Check this out:

http://www.slothmud.org/~hayward/moz_ie.gif

All this fuzz about browsersoftware? For a lot of you this is as serious as a lost battle in the 14th Century for the Serbs. I don't believe such mentality makes good browsers..

Gimme a break. You guys are a bunch of hypocrites. If Netscape did the same thing you'd laugh, and then get angry at MS for not having a sense of humor. Yet here, MS does it, and all of the sudden they're evil and they're trying to rule the world? They're just having a little FUN, kids. Programmers have been doing this since the dawn of time. Jeez, lighten up.

Hey Guys Face it. IE made a better browser in 4.0 and it looks good for 5.0 also. Maybe the egg was a bit much but the fact of the matter is Netscape dropped the ball in the world of DHTML and some of its JavaScript support, I found Buggz in several areas.

IE has it problems also but as an overall issue it is more powerful in alot of way.

I think that the Net heads needs to stop crying over a dead issue and start developing for what is better for the client experience.

So look for a solution that works well to bring Netscape up to standard.....a consistant standard. And quit the whinning.

BTW I develop for both and it adds alot of time to the development process thus more hours to the project...not a good thing for the customers.

Dan Ellis Internet-Intranet Support Group Bank Of America

I think the easter egg was cool. Come on people get a life, Netscape would do the same thing Microsoft has done in the past if they could get away with it too. It's called business people. Bill does everything he can to keep his company on top, does that mean we should burn him at the stake. He was once a small time hacker who happened to strike gold and doesn't want to give the other guys a chance to bring him down. Instead of whining about it why don't you put out a superior product? After all if Microsoft stuff is such crap then why are they number 1, any idiot can put any program they want on their computer, or is that past all your limited educations? Quit bitching and start providing solutions, bitching gets you no where.

I can't wait for Netscape 5 to come out... which is why I'm using IE5 (and I like it!). I don't care much for eggs as I am a vegetarian.

I'm a die-hard Mozilla fan, and I have the utmost respect for Netscape. However, in my line of business, it helps when the browser actually renders a page correctly, which Netscape has failed to do recently. Netscape 4.5 (AND 4.51) have crashed repeatedly and had to be reinstalled. On the other hand, MSIE5 is here, with functioning Java VM, ECMAScript DOM compliance, reliable CSS interpretation, AND faster page-rendering. I don't approve of Microsoft's business tactics, but meanwhile Netscape and Mozilla are slacking. As a result, MSIE5 is the best browser currently on the market. I'm really looking forward to NS5 and Gecko; I would really like for Netscape to make a comeback. If it means anything, NS Messenger is (still) the best mail client I've ever seen. Anyway, good luck, guys. I mean it. (Oh, and sorry about the AOL takeover.)

Maybe EVERYONE should open there eyes and see what Opera can do now!

Don't waste your time with overbloated browsers, and 25 meg downloads. Opera downloads at about one meg, and it's faster than the big boys, and it's now been ported to Linux. Get a life, Get a REAL browser.

Tell a moziller to type "about:mozilla" in the location bar, and it's the coolest thing since sliced cheese. Show IE5 crushing Mozilla and it's a big conspiracy. C'mon! It's their browser; whichever's the best will rise to the top, regardless of any animation. As far as what works, I suggest Dan Ellis's submission above; Netscape's compatibility problems and recent tendency to crash makes it that much LESS attractive to developers like myself. Once again, it's not a conspiracy, it's business. If you wanna stand on your dead dinosaur and scream "Microsoft killed us!", go ahead. But the truth is, Netscape and Mozilla can't sit on the collective butts and wait for the industry to shun Microsoft. It won't work. Stop whining and build a better browser. I'm still waiting...

You actually think the ee reflects Microsoft's fear of Mo? You know why the ee exists? The same reason Simba spells "SEX" with dust. The same reason someone drew a dildo on the cover of "The Little Mermaid!" Because 8-16 ours a day in front of a computer screen gets BORING! (Maybe a Disney box was the wrong place to get kinky, tho.) =)

As far as download size, I doubt if the code was any larger than 200k.

Here is the URL of the Easter Egg:

http://ie.search.msn.com/ie-ee/srchasst/srchcust.htm

hahahahah... Oh that was great.

Boy you guys really need a life. As for the fool who said IE5 doesn't support CSS1... CHECK AGAIN, before typing something idiot like that in.

From a webpage developers point of view NETSCAPES SUCKS. I've had more problems trying to make webpages look nice in Netscape. Than I ever had even when I only had IE4.I've got Netscape 4.08 and don't plan on upgrading any higher.

Maybe if Netscape hadn't slacked off when they were ahead they could have kept ahead of Micro$oft, but they got overconfident and got what they deserved.