Hooray, hooray, it’s IE5 release day

It's amazing what some people will do to avoid the release of yet another software upgrade. Two men have been so keen to miss the launch of Microsoft's latest Internet browser they decided to seal themselves in a tin can and float around the Earth at 35,000ft rather than face the media hype. Rest assured the Great Satan of Software (GSOS) will have found some way to let the crew of the Breitling Orbiter 3 know that the launch of Internet Explorer 5 (IE5) had gone ahead without a glitch. For as well as a technological feat, IE5 is a triumph for the marketing men who managed to come up with its new snappy name. "It's a vast improvement on IE4 -- absolute genius," said one analyst. But it's not just the name that sets it apart from its rivals. With IE5 users can also view Web sites and send e-mail. "Internet Explorer 5 not only displays Web pages faster, it's designed to save you time on the things you do most often," fizzed some promotional gumph from GSOS' Web site. "It's never been easier to get online, find the information you need, and just do stuff faster," it said. (See me - Ed) ®