One of the first browsers to be distributed for free, Internet Explorer, has till date never been an open source.

Initially, its value proposition has been to the consumer who prefers convenience over adaptability.

And today, the value proposition begins to mould into a different shape for IE9, the browser that in an earlier era didn't require a value proposition.

Microsoft's strategy, which was uncovered today at MIX 10, was to grab control of tomorrow's key talking point, HTML 5 compliance and compatibility -- to make HTML 5 adapted to Internet Explorer.

In fact, IE General Manager Dean Hachamovitch's greeting sentence to MIX 10 attendees this morning, was, "When we started looking deeply at HTML 5, we saw that it enabled a whole new class of applications".

"These applications will stress the browser runtime and hardware, as today's sites just don't. We quickly realized that doing HTML 5 right -- our intent -- was more about designing around what HTML 5 applications will need, rather than a particular set of feature", he added.

In addition, Microsoft today initiated with the distribution of the bare-bones chassis of the IE9 Web browser -- no frills, no features, not even bookmarks.