New & Noteworthy: MSN.com shutout; Windows XP

MSN.com shuts out non-Microsoft browsers According to this cnet.com article: "Some people trying to access Microsoft's MSN.com with a non-Microsoft browser are finding themselves locked out."

However, Microsoft is apparently fixing this. A press release from Opera Software (makers of the Opera browser) states: "Opera Software today welcomed Microsoft's quick backtracking on denying millions of Opera users access to their main Web portal, MSN. Microsoft claimed that Opera users were denied entry because the Opera browser 'doesn't support the latest XHTML standard.'" Opera denies this, stating: "Opera's XHTML standard is of the highest quality. This is not the first time Microsoft has tried to deny Opera users entry. Before, Microsoft has tried to keep Opera users out from its IIS-servers by excluding Opera from the browsercap.ini set-up files. That would exclude Opera users from any Web sites running on Microsoft's server solutions. Opera Software sees Microsoft's latest behavior as a sign of their acknowledgment of Opera as a valid threat to its dominance."

Windows XP Almost forgot to mention. Microsoft released something called Windows XP yesterday. See this AP article for details.

In this Detroit Free Press article, columnist Mike Wendland decides he prefers OS X to Windows XP and is returning to the Mac after "abandoning Apple in 1990." [Note to Mike: You don't have to give up on Outlook to use a Mac. There is now a Mac version.]

There were also pro-Mac reactions to Windows XP in the Los Angeles Times and Reuters. Another Reuters article takes a critical look at XP.