CNET: AOL prepares its own browser

CNET added to the story reported last week by eWeek and PaidContent that AOL would release a new browser to compete with Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Anonymous CNET sources tell the news site that the new browser will actually incorporate Microsoft's own IE technology. AOL received a seven-year free license of the IE browser from Microsoft as part of a very expensive settlement to account for Microsoft's civil damages against Netscape stemming from its illegal monopolistic business practices.

Since Microsoft has not pushed any serious innovations since it won the browser wars, it now faces the prospect of AOL using its own software against it by adding a few new features now commonplace in alternative browsers. Microsoft stopped its major browser development push back in 1998.