Microsoft Finally Pushing IE6 Users to Upgrade

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"hopefully by way of a completely OS overhaul."

Marcus: The *last three consecutive* news articles I've read of yours have had weird stupid grammar / spelling errors... Dude. Spell check won't solve all your problems.

Either shape up or get someone to proofread your work. It reflects very poorly on the entire site.
 
[citation][nom]adaman2576[/nom]I'm gonna send this article to our IT guy right now. I've been nagging him to let us upgrade because explorer 6.0 does not allow tabbed browsing. Having multiple windows open everywhere on a little work provided 15" CRT drives me crazy. I don't think that's asking too much.[/citation]
Fire fox Portable 😉
 
Sorry, but I'm a prefessional web developer of 14 years and prefer IE to all other browsers. The launch speed, the way text looks in IE, MS/IE integration and features/security are all reasons I like IE best. Safari is #2 and FireFox is dead last, that browser just seems old and grungy to me. Don't know, just personal preference I guess. Shoot me.
 
[citation][nom]kinless[/nom]This article is using outdated information from Net Applications. IE6 usage has dropped closer to 22% now, and IE8 marketshare has surpassed IE7.http://marketshare.hitslink.com/br [...] px?qprid=3These bloggers/publishers should know by now that there's new stats on the first of every month, so they might want to try timing these articles as such.[/citation]

That's 22% who use whichever browser comes with the OS (at least when it comes to Windows). My main reason for still using IE (alongside Firefox)is because there are many service sites I use that won't really work with anything else but IE. To be fair, I am fully aware that MS isn't the only company making its browser work outside internet accepted standards. But with its OS market share, this means many people are forced into buying Windows if they want to use certain internet services, like banking online for example. I also acknowledge that large companies and government offices offering their services on sites that are only compatible with IE are to blame too, but small businesses that can't afford much on site development might have no choice but to choose the "most popular" browser. And who gets screwed? Us!
 
Thank God! I guess Microsoft realizes the market share they will gain when their own software users are able to use BING! And now we won't have to develop an entirely separate site just to fix the bugs IE6 imposes for it's lack of meeting current standards. Do I hear less development time, more profit in our pocket? Cha Ching.
 
Strange how people stick with old software like that. Then again, they probably go with what has worked for them and are afraid of changing to avoid any complications. I don't think I have used IE6 since I was in high school...
 
How about corporate computers using windows 2000 and not planning to upgrade OS, can MS push them to upgrade IE6? Don't think so...
 
It would seem that the suggestion of the poster who said that Web Programmers tend to use some form of IE is correct. A close relative is an MCAD and he tends to test in IE first and foremost, as does, it would seem, his collegues. He has been a Web programmer for over ten years and IE's prevolance and compatibility seems to see him use it the most. But, alteast in recent times, he has been ensuring Firefox compatibility where possible / required or not made impossible / very difficult because of the design of a site.

It is surprising to read of the seemingly negative view of Firefox here. Personally I am not a web dev and am not an expert, but after sometime testing IE8, Firefox and Chrome, it seemed to me that Firefox was/is the fastest in Windows 7. Also, without having Windows updates on because of the "fear" of problematic patches, I felt that Firefox was, in my personal case, updated in a way easier and *possibly* better for security.

The major problem I see with Firefox is its lack of LAN server patching capability - therefore making it problematic for business. (Though I haven't looked into this very recently).

I don't seem to experience much in the way of compatibility issues with Firefox for all my needs, including many AU Government Websites, Banking and other possible problematic sites. Perhaps I've been fairly lucky... thoughts?
 
While the upgrade should be performed by any home user (or better yet, just do yourself a favor and install Firefox, Chrome or Opera) it is not so simple in a corporate environment.
Here at my workplace I strictly forbid any version of IE other than 6. Why?
Because if you install any other version a few particular programs (like financial and reporting software) will stop working correctly, because we are still using Lotus Domino 6 and there is no way to make the web interface of Notes 6 to work correctly with IE 8, because people gets confused by the "new" interface and features and clogs the tech support for simple questions which are not even relevant to their work and so on and on and on... Upgrading the other apps is not an option. I am not going to upgrade 300+ Domino server because MS released a new browser (it costs loads of money and requires a massive resource investment). And sometimes there is not even the option of upgrading (the financial app I was referring before does not have any newer version, for example).
There were also a few issues with other MS applications when IE8 was release; for example, the mobile app wizard in Visual Studio 2005/2008 broke after an IE8 installation and was fixed only a couple of weeks later via a patch. Not so good if your work is based on it, especially because there were not clue that the error was caused by IE8, apart the fact that, uh, Visual Studio stopped working correctly only after installing it.
Unfortunately Microsoft messed it up so badly when it tried to imposed its web-standards in IE 5 & 6 that this mess will keep on troubling the corporate users for a few years to come...
 
[citation][nom]donaldduck[/nom]While the upgrade should be performed by any home user (or better yet, just do yourself a favor and install Firefox, Chrome or Opera) it is not so simple in a corporate environment.Here at my workplace I strictly forbid any version of IE other than 6. Why?Because if you install any other version a few particular programs (like financial and reporting software) will stop working correctly, because we are still using Lotus Domino 6 and there is no way to make the web interface of Notes 6 to work correctly with IE 8, because people gets confused by the "new" interface and features and clogs the tech support for simple questions which are not even relevant to their work and so on and on and on... Upgrading the other apps is not an option. I am not going to upgrade 300+ Domino server because MS released a new browser (it costs loads of money and requires a massive resource investment). And sometimes there is not even the option of upgrading (the financial app I was referring before does not have any newer version, for example).There were also a few issues with other MS applications when IE8 was release; for example, the mobile app wizard in Visual Studio 2005/2008 broke after an IE8 installation and was fixed only a couple of weeks later via a patch. Not so good if your work is based on it, especially because there were not clue that the error was caused by IE8, apart the fact that, uh, Visual Studio stopped working correctly only after installing it.Unfortunately Microsoft messed it up so badly when it tried to imposed its web-standards in IE 5 & 6 that this mess will keep on troubling the corporate users for a few years to come...[/citation]

+1 Using IE6 in this sort of situation is a must, as backwards compatibility is key there... to clarify my post I meant to acknowledge this concern but omitted it... I was coming at it from the Enthusiast's, I guess, home machine not corporate land... seems your opening sentiment agrees with what I was getting at :)
 
This IE6 issue is an example of technological advancement made far ahead of a mental/education advancement.
If users can upgrade at home, why fear that when they go to work they will get confused by a new browser interface? Because most of them can't do it actually.
Anyway, it's hard to believe that after so many years these people haven't yet got the chance to get used to the new IE versions or other browsers.
The real problem is the shitty internal web applications used by companies.

I believe Microsoft should help those companies, by identifying the key features all those crappy web-apps need, and include a sort of "compatibility mode" in their new browsers, when possible. If not, that's it...

Anyway, developers will either adapt their work to IE6 or ignore it completely.
If I know that only corporate users use IE6, I wouldn't worry if my web site is not working for them. For IE6, I'd just post a banner saying "Well, it seems like you're browsing the web while at work. So please close the browser and Go back to work!!!"
 
[citation][nom]ceteras[/nom]I believe Microsoft should help those companies, by identifying the key features all those crappy web-apps need, and include a sort of "compatibility mode" in their new browsers, when possible.[/citation]

In IE8 there is a "compatibility mode", unfortunately it doesn't seem to work as it should; well... not for my case, anyway.
In my previous post I was speaking of the Web Interface of Lotus Notes 6 and that does not work properly in IE8, even in "compatibility mode".
Funny enough, it works much better in Firefox than in IE8, even tough the optimal solution is IE6.

[citation][nom]dc_webster[/nom]seems your opening sentiment agrees with what I was getting at[/citation]

Could not agree more! Technological advancement must be made and the final user should not have to be kept behind by old technology.

The problem here is that even IE8, while not a bad product by any mean, is far behind the other competing browsers under various aspects, HTML rendering/scripting engine in primis (which, after all, are the most important aspects of a modern web browser).
I find it very amusing that Google Wave, for example, does not load correctly on IE 8 because it does not support all the HTML features needed and the scripting engine is too slow for a proper web application 😀
Well, Google Wave might or might not be "the next email", as Google publicize it, but I think it makes a good example of what a modern browser can do without needing Java or ActiveX components, and IE is just not there (yet).
 
[citation][nom]zak_mckraken[/nom]My governement still uses IE6. Luckily for me, there is always Firefox Portable! At least, it doesn't crash when I visit this site.[/citation]
Am I being marked down because I'm showing alternatives to the default browser on a locked down system or because I'm demonstrating an inherent flaw of IE6? Please, I'd really like to know.
 
I know where I work, if we see IE7 or 8 on a PC, we are told to remove it. And if the user doesn't want to, we escalate the ticket and someone at a higher level does it. We where testing it but our lab halted testing and have elected to not push it out.
 
[citation][nom]zak_mckraken[/nom]Am I being marked down because I'm showing alternatives to the default browser on a locked down system or because I'm demonstrating an inherent flaw of IE6? Please, I'd really like to know.[/citation]

tom's readers say: against microsoft? thumbs down!

i only come here for the free cookies and milk.
 
You guys also don't need admin rights to install fire fox, as long as you don't install it to your profile ie desktop or in my documents you should be able to install it. Well that's if your administrators aren't extremely throrough with their policys.
 
[citation][nom]adaman2576[/nom]I'm gonna send this article to our IT guy right now. I've been nagging him to let us upgrade because explorer 6.0 does not allow tabbed browsing. Having multiple windows open everywhere on a little work provided 15" CRT drives me crazy. I don't think that's asking too much.[/citation]


Another whining end user who think money grow in trees.

And the newer versions are a pain to execute as another user in a give session. I work in an internal IT shop and I use IE6 and FireFox 3.5.5
 
finally, people need more secure browsers :)

Firefox people, sorry to say firefoxusers, last year firefox was less secure than IE
 
[citation][nom]TommySch[/nom]HK_local_machine ...set USB mass storage to DWORDstart=4You failed.[/citation]
If you can't change the browser because of a locked system, chances are you can't disable USB mass storage either. And I really wonder why the admins would benefit from locking USB mass storage in the first place. So, it's a perfectly viable alternative and Shadow703793 did not fail at emtnionning it. Also, you could run/copy it from a CD-ROM drive...
 
Just a fun test:
http://service.futuremark.com/peacekeeper/results.action?key=2VBh

Cant really compare the IE scores as IE doesn't support all the graphics tech of the other browsers and that is included in the final score.
My runs Chrome was the fastest, and everything was faster on PC than mac (both wireless) each running the latest OS.
Not really conclusive as its a desktop vs Laptop but fun.

FF an Opera I ran on mac as well, however they don't show up as they are technically the same version # as the windows versions. FF and Opera scored 1680 and 1214 on Snow Leopard respectively.
 
Having extensively used most browsers I would have to rank them accordingly:

1.Firefox - gets a first just due to the addons
2.Chrome
3.Safari
4.Opera
5.IE8
6.IE7
7.IE6

If People are finding such a difference between IE6/7 and 8, why not just jump ship to something a bit faster, that is more secure... i.e. something thats not IE
 
At work, I use the latest Firefox for all browsing except when I need to work with special software (error tracking, documentation collaboration...) which only runs on IE6 and nothing else. As there are no plans on updating those web applications, I am stuck with IE6.
 
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