[ahpeeyem]

Microsoft didn't realise how important the internet was going to be until after Windows 95 was released, and built their own online service called MSN that was comparable to AOL.

They famously made a quick u-turn after Netscape Navigator became massively popular, and Windows 98 was much more internet-focused.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSN#MSN_Classic

MSN was originally conceived as a dial-up online content provider like America Online, supplying proprietary content through an artificial folder-like interface integrated into Windows 95's Windows Explorer

http://www.internet-story.com/microsoft.htm

Bill Gates almost missed the opportunity provided by Internet. At one time, he even considered it to be merely a passing fad. However, once Microsoft had realised Internet’s potential, the company not only rapidly caught up but overtook its competitors