"There are similar capabilities available in other browsers. Analytics firms can expect to do viewpoint detection in IE similarly to how they do this in other browsers."
Aren't they just throwing their hands up in defense and telling us "We're not the only ones! Everyone else is doing it too!" That's slimy.
I think you are stuck in the past. Microsoft has dramatically improved the security of their system. I've been using Windows as my primary OS since 3.11 days, and I hated Microsoft guts for cutting corners and shipping crap. Not anymore. They really pulled their act together in last couple of years. From Windows Updates, to mitigation tools like EMET, to much improved MSDN documentation - I really can't be believe that I'm saying this - they did a great job. So please if you feel like bashing M$, there's a dedicated website for that... it's called Slashdot :)
yes they did, but their perceived image is still badly damaged
Really, it sounds more like something one might write on an internal mailing list than a message intended for general consumption. Rolling your eyes about seemingly overblown theoretical worries is fine, but one should be a bit more contrite in public.