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Is IE 8 actually a Mozilla product?

M

Mobius

Flightless Bird
www.useragentstring.com reports that IE 8 on this machine is a Mozilla-based
browser.
Did Microsoft outsource the development of IE 8 to Mozilla Corp?
That was one twist I hadn't expected.
Mobius
--------

Internet Explorer 8.0
Mozilla It's a Mozilla based browser
4.0 Mozilla Version
compatible Compatibility flag
Indicates that this browser is compatible with a common set of
features
MSIE 8.0 Name :
Internet Explorer
Version = 8.0
Windows NT 5.1 Operating System:
Windows XP
Trident Layout engine for the Microsoft Windows version of Internet
Explorer.
4.0 version 4.0
.NET CLR 2.0.50727 .NET framework
Version : 2.0.50727
.NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152 .NET framework
Version : 3.0.4506.2152
.NET CLR 3.5.30729 .NET framework
Version : 3.5.30729
 
D

Donald Anadell

Flightless Bird
"Mobius" <Mobius@do.not.respond> wrote in message
news:hsoth5$35i$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> www.useragentstring.com reports that IE 8 on this machine is a
> Mozilla-based
> browser.
> Did Microsoft outsource the development of IE 8 to Mozilla Corp?
> That was one twist I hadn't expected.
> Mobius
> --------
>
> Internet Explorer 8.0
> Mozilla It's a Mozilla based browser
> 4.0 Mozilla Version
> compatible Compatibility flag
> Indicates that this browser is compatible with a common set of
> features
> MSIE 8.0 Name :
> Internet Explorer
> Version = 8.0
> Windows NT 5.1 Operating System:
> Windows XP
> Trident Layout engine for the Microsoft Windows version of Internet
> Explorer.
> 4.0 version 4.0
> .NET CLR 2.0.50727 .NET framework
> Version : 2.0.50727
> .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152 .NET framework
> Version : 3.0.4506.2152
> .NET CLR 3.5.30729 .NET framework
> Version : 3.5.30729

See:

Understanding User-Agent Strings
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms537503(VS.85).aspx

Good luck,

Donald Anadell
 
J

Jeff Strickland

Flightless Bird
"Mobius" <Mobius@do.not.respond> wrote in message
news:hsoth5$35i$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> www.useragentstring.com reports that IE 8 on this machine is a
> Mozilla-based
> browser.
> Did Microsoft outsource the development of IE 8 to Mozilla Corp?
> That was one twist I hadn't expected.
> Mobius
> --------

FireFox is a Netscape experience.
 
P

PA Bear [MS MVP]

Flightless Bird
Bwaa-ha-ha-ha! See http://user-agent-string.info

Mobius wrote:
> www.useragentstring.com reports that IE 8 on this machine is a
> Mozilla-based
> browser.
> Did Microsoft outsource the development of IE 8 to Mozilla Corp?
> That was one twist I hadn't expected.
> Mobius
> --------
>
> Internet Explorer 8.0
> Mozilla It's a Mozilla based browser
> 4.0 Mozilla Version
> compatible Compatibility flag
> Indicates that this browser is compatible with a common set of
> features
> MSIE 8.0 Name :
> Internet Explorer
> Version = 8.0
> Windows NT 5.1 Operating System:
> Windows XP
> Trident Layout engine for the Microsoft Windows version of Internet
> Explorer.
> 4.0 version 4.0
> .NET CLR 2.0.50727 .NET framework
> Version : 2.0.50727
> .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152 .NET framework
> Version : 3.0.4506.2152
> .NET CLR 3.5.30729 .NET framework
> Version : 3.5.30729
 
M

Mobius

Flightless Bird
Update: Is IE 8 actually a Mozilla product?

"Mobius" <Mobius@do.not.respond> wrote in message
news:hsoth5$35i$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> www.useragentstring.com reports that IE 8 on this machine is a
> Mozilla-based
> browser.
> Did Microsoft outsource the development of IE 8 to Mozilla Corp?
> That was one twist I hadn't expected.
> Mobius
> ---------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Thanks for the informative responses. Added to my education.
Following up on the link supplied by Donald Anadell:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms537503(VS.85).aspx
I found this:
"For historical reasons, Internet Explorer identifies itself as a Mozilla
4.0 browser."
Mystery explained for now.
But a greater mystery opens up:
Why on earth does Microsoft see it necessary to cloak its Internet Explorer
as Mozilla?
This decade-and-a-half-long deception doesn't make sense for a
man-in-the-street chap like me.
But, why should I care - just asked because it seemed unusual.
;-)
Mobius
--------
 
T

Twayne

Flightless Bird
In news:%23uSjjjS9KHA.4316@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl,
PA Bear [MS MVP] <PABearMVP@gmail.com> typed:
> Bwaa-ha-ha-ha! See http://user-agent-string.info

Typical copy-cat behavior of idiots who think it "sounds" neat to type.
Unoriginal types copying other's silliness. It's really great to see an MVP
being like that; IF you're actually an MVP.

HTH,

Twayne`

> Mobius wrote:
>> www.useragentstring.com reports that IE 8 on this machine
>> is a Mozilla-based
>> browser.
>> Did Microsoft outsource the development of IE 8 to Mozilla
>> Corp? That was one twist I hadn't expected.
>> Mobius
>> --------
>>
>> Internet Explorer 8.0
>> Mozilla It's a Mozilla based browser
>> 4.0 Mozilla Version
>> compatible Compatibility flag
>> Indicates that this browser is compatible with a
>> common set of features
>> MSIE 8.0 Name :
>> Internet Explorer
>> Version = 8.0
>> Windows NT 5.1 Operating System:
>> Windows XP
>> Trident Layout engine for the Microsoft Windows
>> version of Internet Explorer.
>> 4.0 version 4.0
>> .NET CLR 2.0.50727 .NET framework
>> Version : 2.0.50727
>> .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152 .NET framework
>> Version : 3.0.4506.2152
>> .NET CLR 3.5.30729 .NET framework
>> Version : 3.5.30729
 
T

Twayne

Flightless Bird
Re: Update: Is IE 8 actually a Mozilla product?

In news:hspugp$a84$1@news.eternal-september.org,
Mobius <Mobius@do.not.respond> typed:
> "Mobius" <Mobius@do.not.respond> wrote in message
> news:hsoth5$35i$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>> www.useragentstring.com reports that IE 8 on this machine
>> is a Mozilla-based
>> browser.
>> Did Microsoft outsource the development of IE 8 to Mozilla
>> Corp? That was one twist I hadn't expected.
>> Mobius
>> ---------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
> Thanks for the informative responses. Added to my education.
> Following up on the link supplied by Donald Anadell:
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms537503(VS.85).aspx
> I found this:
> "For historical reasons, Internet Explorer identifies
> itself as a Mozilla 4.0 browser."
> Mystery explained for now.
> But a greater mystery opens up:
> Why on earth does Microsoft see it necessary to cloak its
> Internet Explorer as Mozilla?
> This decade-and-a-half-long deception doesn't make sense
> for a man-in-the-street chap like me.
> But, why should I care - just asked because it seemed
> unusual. ;-)
> Mobius
> --------

Unfortunately you can't get anything reasonable out of the monkeys running
around in here right now. I've often wondered the same thing but there
isn't going to be any good response forthcoming in this group of dummies and
egotists.

HTH,

Twayne`
 
G

George

Flightless Bird
Re: Update: Is IE 8 actually a Mozilla product?

"Mobius" <Mobius@do.not.respond> wrote in message
news:hspugp$a84$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> "Mobius" <Mobius@do.not.respond> wrote in message
> news:hsoth5$35i$1@news.eternal-september.org...
>> www.useragentstring.com reports that IE 8 on this machine is a
>> Mozilla-based
>> browser.
>> Did Microsoft outsource the development of IE 8 to Mozilla
>> Corp?
>> That was one twist I hadn't expected.
>> Mobius
>> ---------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
> Thanks for the informative responses. Added to my education.
> Following up on the link supplied by Donald Anadell:
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms537503(VS.85).aspx
> I found this:
> "For historical reasons, Internet Explorer identifies itself as
> a Mozilla
> 4.0 browser."
> Mystery explained for now.
> But a greater mystery opens up:
> Why on earth does Microsoft see it necessary to cloak its
> Internet Explorer
> as Mozilla?
> This decade-and-a-half-long deception doesn't make sense for a
> man-in-the-street chap like me.
> But, why should I care - just asked because it seemed unusual.
> ;-)
> Mobius
> --------
>
>
>
>
>
 
R

Rob

Flightless Bird
Re: Update: Is IE 8 actually a Mozilla product?

Mobius <Mobius@do.not.respond> wrote:
> I found this:
> "For historical reasons, Internet Explorer identifies itself as a Mozilla
> 4.0 browser."
> Mystery explained for now.
> But a greater mystery opens up:
> Why on earth does Microsoft see it necessary to cloak its Internet Explorer
> as Mozilla?
> This decade-and-a-half-long deception doesn't make sense for a
> man-in-the-street chap like me.
> But, why should I care - just asked because it seemed unusual.
> ;-)
> Mobius
> --------

In the early days, Mozilla added new features to their browser and sites
started to use them. As those sites wanted to make sure that their
viewers got the right result, they checked the user-agent string to see
if it started with Mozilla, and if it didn't they displayed a message
explaining the user needed to download and install Mozilla for the best
user experience.
(in those days the average Internet user still would understand such
a message and be able to follow its directions)

Later, Microsoft bought a competing browser and started to develop it
as Internet Explorer. They added similar features to their browser, so
that it would be able to display the Mozilla-specific pages.
However, the sites that had coded the user-agent checker would still
recommend to download and install Mozilla, and this made it difficult
for Microsoft to get their product accepted by the users.

So, what they did is to spoof their useragent as being Mozilla.
From then on it was something like:

Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE x.xx; ....)

This tricked the checking routines into believing that Mozilla was being
used, so the message about downloading Mozilla did not appear.

Of course this issue is no longer present and any sites that still
do these checks probably don't display in a modern browser very well
anyway.
Microsoft really should have removed this and used something like:

MSIE/8.0 (Trident 4.0)

for their new browser.
 
M

Mobius

Flightless Bird
Re: Update: Is IE 8 actually a Mozilla product?

My response at bottom:
"Rob" <nomail@example.com> wrote in message
news:slrnhv1ufd.7ml.nomail@xs8.xs4all.nl...
> Mobius <Mobius@do.not.respond> wrote:
>> I found this:
>> "For historical reasons, Internet Explorer identifies itself as a Mozilla
>> 4.0 browser."
>> Mystery explained for now.
>> But a greater mystery opens up:
>> Why on earth does Microsoft see it necessary to cloak its Internet
>> Explorer
>> as Mozilla?
>> This decade-and-a-half-long deception doesn't make sense for a
>> man-in-the-street chap like me.
>> But, why should I care - just asked because it seemed unusual.
>> ;-)
>> Mobius
>> --------
>
> In the early days, Mozilla added new features to their browser and sites
> started to use them. As those sites wanted to make sure that their
> viewers got the right result, they checked the user-agent string to see
> if it started with Mozilla, and if it didn't they displayed a message
> explaining the user needed to download and install Mozilla for the best
> user experience.
> (in those days the average Internet user still would understand such
> a message and be able to follow its directions)
>
> Later, Microsoft bought a competing browser and started to develop it
> as Internet Explorer. They added similar features to their browser, so
> that it would be able to display the Mozilla-specific pages.
> However, the sites that had coded the user-agent checker would still
> recommend to download and install Mozilla, and this made it difficult
> for Microsoft to get their product accepted by the users.
>
> So, what they did is to spoof their useragent as being Mozilla.
> From then on it was something like:
>
> Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE x.xx; ....)
>
> This tricked the checking routines into believing that Mozilla was being
> used, so the message about downloading Mozilla did not appear.
>
> Of course this issue is no longer present and any sites that still
> do these checks probably don't display in a modern browser very well
> anyway.
> Microsoft really should have removed this and used something like:
>
> MSIE/8.0 (Trident 4.0)
>
> for their new browser.

That clears up things for me.
Thanks for the detailed informative response.
I sure have learnt a lot from this little question!
Regards and thanks.
:)
Mobius
--------
 
M

Mobius

Flightless Bird
"PA Bear [MS MVP]" <PABearMVP@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23uSjjjS9KHA.4316@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Bwaa-ha-ha-ha! See http://user-agent-string.info


A childish response not expected from an MS-MVP, I am sorry to say.
Mobius
--------


>
> Mobius wrote:
>> www.useragentstring.com reports that IE 8 on this machine is a
>> Mozilla-based
>> browser.
>> Did Microsoft outsource the development of IE 8 to Mozilla Corp?
>> That was one twist I hadn't expected.
>> Mobius
>> --------
>>
>> Internet Explorer 8.0
>> Mozilla It's a Mozilla based browser
>> 4.0 Mozilla Version
>> compatible Compatibility flag
>> Indicates that this browser is compatible with a common set of
>> features
>> MSIE 8.0 Name :
>> Internet Explorer
>> Version = 8.0
>> Windows NT 5.1 Operating System:
>> Windows XP
>> Trident Layout engine for the Microsoft Windows version of Internet
>> Explorer.
>> 4.0 version 4.0
>> .NET CLR 2.0.50727 .NET framework
>> Version : 2.0.50727
>> .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152 .NET framework
>> Version : 3.0.4506.2152
>> .NET CLR 3.5.30729 .NET framework
>> Version : 3.5.30729
>
 
J

ju.c

Flightless Bird
See "Mozilla" on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla

Find this header: "Part of the "user agent string" of many browsers".


ju.c


"Mobius" <Mobius@do.not.respond> wrote in message news:hsoth5$35i$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> www.useragentstring.com reports that IE 8 on this machine is a Mozilla-based
> browser.
> Did Microsoft outsource the development of IE 8 to Mozilla Corp?
> That was one twist I hadn't expected.
> Mobius
> --------
>
> Internet Explorer 8.0
> Mozilla It's a Mozilla based browser
> 4.0 Mozilla Version
> compatible Compatibility flag
> Indicates that this browser is compatible with a common set of
> features
> MSIE 8.0 Name :
> Internet Explorer
> Version = 8.0
> Windows NT 5.1 Operating System:
> Windows XP
> Trident Layout engine for the Microsoft Windows version of Internet
> Explorer.
> 4.0 version 4.0
> .NET CLR 2.0.50727 .NET framework
> Version : 2.0.50727
> .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152 .NET framework
> Version : 3.0.4506.2152
> .NET CLR 3.5.30729 .NET framework
> Version : 3.5.30729
>
>
>
>
>
>
 
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