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The short answer, Yes AND No. The longer answer of Yes.
Yes, Microsoft did block competitor web browsers from one of the worlds most visited web-sites, MSN (The Microsoft Network) - for a few hours. This also explains the no, they didn't "block" access to MSN. Internet Explorer currently enjoys 80+% Web Broswer market share worldwide, with Netscape at a distant second with reportedly 13%.
My figures are much more dominant in favor of Internet Explorer. AMO.NET visitors, and Never Offline(SM) Users represent over 99% Internet Explorer, with Opera, Netscape, and Unknown the remaining part of less than 1 percent.
It's not a surprise that anti-Microsoft charlatans would use this "episode" to scream ANTI-TRUST, CONSPIRACY, they DID IT AGAIN! Boycott, Boycott, hypocrisy - don't use Microsoft! By the way, here, use our product that doesn't work right : *enter name of Microsoft competitor product here*
So, the obvious answer is yes, MSN.com was, and is designed for Internet Explorer, which, if MS was so kind as to release their figures, I'm sure represents over 90% of MSN.com visitors. So, obviously, yes, Microsoft did design MSN.com for IE, and in that regard, block other Web Browsers from accessing MSN.com.
So, obviously, this doesn't mean Microsoft was anti-competitive, but the reverse, designing, and releasing MSN.com for the majority of users worldwide - Microsoft Users. Others havn't been so kind in regard to what Microsoft does, and as I stated before, jumped at the opportunity to scream ANTI-TRUST.
In an interview with news.com, Tim Berners-Lee (a founder of the WWW and World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) director) had much to say:
"Obviously this was a blatant attempt to use the leverage of some content to produce domination at the software layer,"
Tim, sir, you couldn't be more wrong. You like most others know Internet Explorer represents over 80% of Web Browsers worldwide - IE: Internet Explorer already has software layer domination. Lets do the reverse, so if you, at the W3C design your site, just for Netscape, which is 13%, we couldn't say you omitted and were anti-competitive against Microsoft, but rather that you stupidly omitted the majority of your Web Site Visitors.
In Microsoft designing MSN.com for the majority of worldwide web visitors, they are anti-competitive, and in ignoring the competition, they are violating ANTI-TRUST laws? No, wrong again, Microsoft, in designing MSN.com for the majority of internet users, and as such, the majority of Windows users, have simply gone with the competitive flow, and could care less about Netscape, Opera, and the like. A more accurate quote would be: In designing MSN.com for Internet Explorer only, Microsoft has omitted the last few percent of their customers, and this should be taken into account.
Why all the stir anyways? Microsoft officially stated that MSN.com followed the latest W3C standards, while other Web Browsers do not - this is fact. Then, a few hours later, uploaded an MSN.com web-site accessible by all recent web-browsers - this is fact. So, even though MSN.com was accessible, within hours by all Web Browers, and not just the superior Internet Explorer, the "Anti-Microsoft" types still scream conspiracy.
Take a walk, smell the coffee, and get real anti-microsoft people - we all know there isn't any money in this for you.
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