Microsoft has quitely launched it's new web start page project to the public. It's basically a non-supported internal project by the 'sandbox' (MSN's version of Google Labs) and currently has two features: a web-based RSS reader <start.com/1/> and a web start page <start.com/2/> that allows you to add all your favourite stuff (Google and Google Maps are listed by default!).

Both tools are quite impresive, though incomplete and buggy. I am delighted to note that they use some kind of AJAX technique. Hopefully start.com would become the new default page for IE 7 or Longhorn.

Speaking of AJAX, C|Net had this article on speculations about 'GoogleOS' yesterday. I'm pissed, since I blogged very very similar ideas about a year ago.