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Originally Posted by Pony99CA
Anyway, if Microsoft ever feels threatened, don't think for a minute that they can't improve Pocket IE. In fact, I recall reading that Windows CE .NET will include a version compatible with IE 5.5 (whatever that means :-)).
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Sadly, they may very well not be able to improve it (at least not at the same rate). This is for a couple reasons:
1) When IE took the lead from Netscape they were a division in and of themselves (it was at the time that MS turned around and created an Internet Division under then Exec. Vice President Brad Silverberg). They were given the mandate to beat Netscape at all costs, and they also had control of the Windows Shell. This allowed them to move fast and have everything they needed under their control. That's why you saw IE come out with 3 or 4 versions per year for a while.
Now they are under the platforms group and under current Exec. Vice President Jim Allchin who has always believed that IE should be (A) closely tied to Windows (e.g. the old guard considered IE a program in and of itself while the current considers it a piece of Windows) and (B) be on a platform product cycle (which is a new product every couple years). This structure inhibits Microsoft's ability to compete with Opera (which is in effect a startup).
2) Those Microsoft staff members that engineered IE's take over are largely gone (most to
Ignition Partners). There very well may be others at Microsoft now that could pull off the same trick but the fact remains those who did it before are gone.
As for MS buying Opera, I believe Opera is privately held so if they won't even build a browser for Microsoft Platforms I doubt they will be willing to sell the company to them.