[Brian Rector]

MSN announced that it may charge extra to match AOL's $23.90/month for the new The Microsoft Network 8. Also, announced was the plan to charge soon to users of MSN Explorer, Microsoft's attempt to make a AOL-type browser. Yahoo and SBC have a internet browser, btw, that is almost a direct copy of MSN Explorer. (http://www.cnet.com/internet/0-3762-8-20127038-1.html?tag=sd)

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/newsroom/msn/msn8featuresheet.asp

http://news.com.com/2100-1023-944310.html?legacy=cnet&tag=lthd

 

[HarryD]

I knew this was gonna happen.. Give it away free for years, then when you have cornered the market, start charging... really nice Bill!

 

[Brian Rector]

This will not affect Internet Explorer. The browser will continue to be offered for free. MSN Explorer is IE with pretty colors and with MSN 8 coming up soon (I havent found it on Beta yet, but I will still be looking), MSNE will be only available to paying customers.

Personally, I think that Microsoft has to do this. Why? MSNE was nothing more than a advertisement by MS to get people to subscribe to MSN Internet Access. Its like MS was saying "You like this browser? You will get better results with MSN Internet Access". If you currently sub to a ISP, youre better off using IE, not MSN Explorer. For one thing, its a memory hog. Secondly, its IE. Pure overkill. I have been with MSN Internet Access for awhile (as well as AOL). It was their sponsoring the U2 PopMart tour (back in 1997) that got me interested in the service.

 

[Brian Rector]

Looks like I have to get a invitation from Microsoft in order to get the Beta version. Microsoft is limiting the Beta of MSN Explorer to only a certain number of people. It wont bother me any that I cannot get the early peek.

I do like using MSN Explorer. However, if you do sub to the service, you dont have to use MSN Explorer to access MSN Internet Access. There are ways to create a manual connection to the service and even get access to MSN mail via Outlook Express. Microsoft, however, frowns on this because they prefer that all MSNIA subs use MSN Explorer.