Windows Live?

Microsoft have made a very funky website Live.com.
As a person who has been reduced to a HTML junkie, I have to admit there is some stuff that is a bit interesting. No prizes for guessing that it only works in IE (there is a flier at the top that is extolling Firefox users to be patient).

They have these links that they call "gadgets". You can drag and drop these links to the right-hand lower corner of the same page, and alas, the link acquires some sort of life of its own. It morphs into a heading and downloads a mini-page with the relevant information. You drag drop many links, with similar results. Next time you open the page, it will have all these links in place. Its like a supremely personalizable home page.

The next step, Microsoft say, is to enhance these "gadgets" to include mini-applications using Web services [you will remember that this is an old technology, originally Java, they just copied and plastered it everywhere via marketing]. The idea is to offer service-based software (Application Service Provider, like salesforce, and google). When this live.com will be complete, it will look like Sharepoint [another Microsoft technology], but on the internet.

Small businesses, will get software as services, for reduced licence and maintenance prices, IF they will allow advertising to be carried on the software [think Excel or Word with ad banners]. Of course, as usual, Microsoft is playing catch-up. More companies are resisting tons of money from Microsoft in takeover attempts, to try out new ideas. And the ideas are working. Bill Gates must be scared shitless. When money can't get you what you want, things get jittery.

Those roving links? Must be IE, and their non-conformance to standards. I am going to watch this one closely.