Web users don't like Microsoft shocker

While Microsoft may be one of the most widely known brands on the web, it's actually far from the best loved. Auction giant eBay, however, is winning the battle for hearts and minds and, according to new research, is now the best liked web brand.

Internet monitoring company Envisional found that Microsoft was the most prominent online brand, followed by Google, Yahoo!, Sony and HP. Apple and Amazon also made the top 10.

Auctioneer eBay, which was only the sixth most prominent brand, was the best liked overall, being most often and most strongly mentioned in a positive context when appearing online. HP, Dell, and a number of other tech notables also fared well.

Envisional's most negative list, however, only features one tech firm: Microsoft.

Redmond comes in at number six in the most negatively discussed brands, behind notable corporate behemoths including Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart and McDonalds.