Complaints over Microsoft’s CSS support come amid broader criticisms that improvements in browser technology have slowed to a glacial pace since the software giant crushed credible competition in the market–an outcome that some view as ironic given Microsoft’s cries during the antitrust trial that court-mandated restraints on its ability to bundle applications would stifle innovation.

“While it is true that our implementation is not fully, 100 percent W3C-compliant, our development investments are driven by our customer requirements and not necessarily by standards,” said Greg Sullivan, a lead product manager with the Windows client group.

When it was pointed out that the most vocal critics of IE’s CSS support are Web developers and authoring tool makers, rather than standards bodies, Sullivan said those critics were comparatively few.