IE was by far the worst browser. i was working as a front end dev durinh those days and got excited when google finally launched chrome, more-so than firefox. the hours and the energy spent on debugging IE is something we will never get back.
on your second point, monopolies create the setting for massive disruption.
IExplorer 5 was the best browser available, the Chrome of its time.
>> monopolies create the setting for massive disruption
I know that HN has a fetish with disruption, but no, it's not monopolies that create the opportunity for disruption, but the exact opposite of a monopoly, which is competition, often made possible by advances in technology. There's no inherent property of a monopoly that facilitates disruption, other than the monopoly just being on the scene nearby.
> but no, it's not monopolies that create the opportunity for disruption, but the exact opposite of a monopoly, which is competition, often made possible by advances in technology.
monopolies innovate less, thus making them prone for disruption.
"We develop a new theory of why a monopolistic industry innovates less than a competitive industry"
http://www.dklevine.com/papers/monopoly_innovation.pdf
on your second point, monopolies create the setting for massive disruption.