Let's face it: Microsoft's various tactics and ploys over the years have stomped Netscape into the dust, and nothing that comes out of the "Redmond Justice" trial will change that. By many reports, Internet Explorer has far bypassed Netscape Navigator as the most-used browser on the Web. Netscape was forced into the unenviable position of selling itself to AOL, and we haven't seen a major revision to Navigator for... well, geez, when did 4.0 come out? It's been a couple of years, almost, hasn't it? The Browser Wars are pretty much over, and all the trial's going to do is determine whether or not Microsoft committed war crimes to win.

And so, having crushed Netscape underfoot and eliminated the browser threat, Microsoft is now free to try to conquer other markets in which it's been lagging. How about, say, the Internet streaming media market? Real Networks still rules the roost in that market, and you just know that's chafing Billy-Boy's buns something fierce. Heck, since Apple refused to buckle under to Microsoft's threats and "knife the baby," QuickTime's a pretty solid contender for the Streaming Media Title, too. That's two competitors for Microsoft to try to eliminate-- and, interestingly enough, Bill's first big step appears to be the strategy that's worked so well for him in the past: he's copying Apple.

That's right-- according to a CNET story we found linked over on MacNN, Bill's pushing streaming media as the best thing since sliced bread (or, more accurately, Microsoft Bread™ 99), and to that end, the Windows Media Player architecture is getting some new hooks. Microsoft now wants to "provide the infrastructure that lets content companies provide streamed multimedia." Can anyone say "QuickTime TV"? Also future versions of Windows will come bundled with-- er, sorry, we meant integrated with-- "software that will make video editing easier." Gosh, that's innovative! Cough*iMovie*Cough. And lastly, Gates shows he truly has his finger on the pulse of what the consumers want: the new version of Windows Media Player will "feature a revised graphical interface that looks like a television with a brushed metallic face." Leave it to Bill to copy the one feature of QuickTime that most Mac users would love to see disappear. (On the other hand, it's not like Windows has a unified, intuitive, and consistent interface in the first place, so we can't imagine that Windows users will get too upset.) Does this all seem somehow familiar? Think MSIE and Netscape. Here's what we assume to be the Gates Magic Formula: copy the competition really well, bundle the copied product with Windows to leverage the OS monopoly, and sit back and wait for sheer momentum to win the day. Now that's a solid business plan.