Microsoft is planning to add a pop-up stopper to its Internet Explorer web browser. Windows XP Service Pack 2 is expected to include a facility to block pop-up windows. The service pack is due for release next year according to news.com.
Microsoft said customer feedback woudl be used before making the stopper a permanent feature of the browser. Some sites use pop-ups for reasons other than advertising and blocking pop-ups would make them impossible to use.
Google and Altavista have already given consumers the option to block pop-ups. Last August Google and Altavista launched new toolbars, which include a pop-up blockers.