Occasionally, I run Microsoft-related news and reviews on Linux Pipeline. These generally fall into three categories: stories dealing with Internet Explorer; those concerning Microsoft's operating systems, especially Longhorn; and security-related issues.

I should admit, however, that Microsoft-related news sometimes makes the cut simply because I it strikes me as interesting, or appalling, or both.

This happened earlier in the summer, when I assumed Microsoft's announcement that it wouldn't release a Windows 2000 version of IE 7 was some kind of typo. After all, Microsoft knows perfectly well that fully half of its global user base still runs Win2K. Many of these users plan to make the most of the five years remaining in the Windows 2000 extended support schedule.

You may also notice there's a lot less attention being paid lately to Firefox's long-standing difficulties getting a tryout in most enterprise IT departments. The old problem for the IT guys was that rebuilding Web sites and otherwise retooling for a new browser is an expensive process. The new problem, given that IE 7 is never coming to Win2K and IE 6 will be a useless mess within six months, is that migrating to Windows XP seveal years ahead of schedule makes the cost of a browser migration project look like chump change.