With SP2 Microsoft added several things (including a Firewall) to improve windows security.  I personally switched to firefox long ago to reduce spyware.  Of course it is only a matter of time until firefox is popular enough.  Of course /. Reports: Gartner Says it's a 2-Browser World.  So, Experts predict Firefox spyware will show up this year.  Microsoft hopefully will learn a lot from firefox for IE 7.  Bill Gates announced on Tuesday at RSA that Microsoft is not only releasing IE 7 and AntiSpyware (which will have a free personal edition!) but will release an Anti-Virus product by the end of 2005.

While this is great news and what the community was demanding from Microsoft I think MS will get flak back on this one.  Here is why.  What is this going to do to Norton and McAfee.  Of course right now the AntiVirus might cost but what about 3 years from its release?  When they make it part of the OS (like IE did to Netscape)!  I am wondering about what will happen to Microsoft’s partners.  Crystal must cringe at the Microsoft SQL Reporting Services!

It is obviously much more advantages to be bought by Microsoft than to compete or even partner with them.