On Fri, 22 Mar 1996, Stuart Theodore wrote: <snip>
* regarding the mac question - there already is a version of Internet Explorer for the Macintosh, available for download at www.microsoft.com/ie. Microsoft is has already announced its committment to building cross-platform internet products.
If this is the case, then why did you discontinue Mac support for your own MAPI standard? While the ability exists to bind cryptographic protocols onto your MS Mail a/o Exchange via MAPI (as we have done), you trashed MS Mail for the Mac. Star Nine doesn't even have the ability to port MAPI onto the Mac, even though you sold them the rights to MS Mail server software for that platform. You have crippled the interoperability of your so-called messaging standard between the Mac and Windows platform, thus preventing third party developers (such as myself) from being able to incorporate the use of different cryptographic engines seamlessly across your product line. Now you say, "Microsoft is [sic] has already announced its committment to building cross-platform internet products." Excuse me, but this is exactly the same thing you used to say about cross-platform messaging products (before you woke up to the Internet). Now, whenever I have to put together a messaging system or O/A environment that requires cryptographic protections, I tell my clients to avoid MS like the plague. Hell, I'd rather work in VIM than deal with this "MS commitment" that turns out to be empty lies and marketing hype. Forgive me if I, and any number of other people, assign no merit whatsoever to any so-called "commitment" from MS, particularly in regard to security and standards issues. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Liberty is truly dead |Mark Aldrich | | when the slaves are willing |GRCI INFOSEC Engineering | | to forge their own chains. |maldrich@grci.com | | STOP THE CDA NOW! |MAldrich@dockmaster.ncsc.mil | |_______________________________________________________________________| |The author is PGP Empowered. Public key at: finger maldrich@grci.com | | The opinions expressed herein are strictly those of the author | | and my employer gets no credit for them whatsoever. | -------------------------------------------------------------------------