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8 years late: Microsoft finally pushes users to upgrade from IE6
For 8 years, a vast percentage of the Internet's user base have been accruing malware and useless toolbars. Today, even after the invention of Firefox, Safari and Chrome, and the updates of Internet Explorer 7 and 8, a full TWENTY THREE PERCENT of the Internet still uses IE6!
23%! And Microsoft are to blame! History took a turn for the worse when IE6 was fatefully included as the default browser in Windows XP. Couple in the fact that it was made available for both Windows 95 and 98, and the huge number of Internet and corporate Intranet web apps that were developed in the past decade with only IE6 compatibility in mind... and you can see why IE6 and its antiquated, creaking, non-standard and insecure rendering engine still reigns supreme.
But that's all about to change. Hopefully. Microsoft is now advertising their IE8 browser as a direct competitor to its grunting, hairy-hobo, spyware-ridden predecessor. Touting better security and neat new features like Web Slices, Microsoft are hoping to shift those steadfast 23% to their new browser.
It won't work of course. Most of those IE6 users are enterprise or corporate users that are tied down due bespoke software or useless IT directors. It's not like Microsoft can force IE6 to update automatically. But it sure is nice to see them making an effort.
[via CNET]
Comments
39
Subscribe to commentsThomas HoustonDec 1st 2009 8:42AM
Great image choice.
Drew GreenDec 1st 2009 8:43AM
+1. Literally LOL'd at work.
Sebastian AnthonyDec 1st 2009 8:45AM
Thanks man.
I deliberated for a long time about whether I should actually install IE6 and make my own, or steal that one from the Internet.
But I've been 'clean' for 5 years now... I don't wanna go back to IE6... don't make me...
Jash SayaniDec 1st 2009 1:25PM
He is actually missing a toolbar.... Just cant remember which one. LOL
KennethDec 1st 2009 8:46AM
Why not just stop supporting it? If it's time to move on, it's time to move on for everyone. Corporations, enterprises, everyone. If they can stop supporting an OS, they can stop supporting a browser.
Sebastian AnthonyDec 1st 2009 8:47AM
Good question.
Probably because of those users still tied down to using it.
Same way some businesses still use ancient DOS-based systems...
But yeah, Microsoft should just PULL IT!
CamDec 1st 2009 10:49AM
They won't stop supporting IE6 until they stop supporting XP, which I don't see happening for a long time.
SchwinnDec 1st 2009 8:47AM
The company I work for is also still using IE6... heck, they're still running XP SP2 here... yeesh.
As I recall, some of our daily operational software is web-based, and that is written for IE6, specifically... hence IE7 won't work. Maybe IE8 in IE6-mode can work... I'd like to think someone is testing that, but I won't hold my breath.
der_tuxmanDec 1st 2009 9:09AM
Does IE8 run on Windows 2000? Newer Windows versions are mostly productivity killers on workstations.
Sebastian AnthonyDec 1st 2009 9:11AM
Google says only XP/2003 and later.
der_tuxmanDec 1st 2009 9:16AM
So how should they change then?
"Buy a new OS", lol?
Sebastian AnthonyDec 1st 2009 9:18AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems
Windows 2000 has a 0.60% market share.
Slightly smaller than 23%.
whiskeyDec 3rd 2009 4:27AM
Liheee... Nuhoox!
And if that's not an option... Then switch to Firefox!
scheckleyDec 1st 2009 9:15AM
It's unfortunate that most of the target audience for the Microsoft IE update effort wont even be aware of it, and most of that audience probably don't even realize there are different browsers... or that they're even using a browser to look at the internet. If it's not forced, they wont change.
but it's a start at least...
awholeianDec 1st 2009 11:06AM
they'll say "hey, my internet button changed"
hmmDec 1st 2009 9:20AM
I once saw a firefox image of hundreds of extensions taking up all the screen space. But the difference between the Firefox user and the IE6 user makes me think that a lot of people actually do have this setup. "Toolbar? Will speed up my browsing? ... (Download..Download.. Download)" Great Image! Lol!
phezDec 1st 2009 9:39AM
Your article should read "23% of the internet still not tech savvy as the rest of us". I used IE6 for many years without issue, because I'm not a layman, and most importantly, I don't click on links promising me free ipods.
The browser doesn't make you secure, common sense does. Firefox users still have to deal with security holes in plugins, such as Flash, just as any other browser does. If you think switching between browsers makes you a more competent internet user, you are wildly mistaken.
ITT sensationalist articles and internet apologetics.
Sebastian AnthonyDec 1st 2009 9:43AM
If you read the opening paragraph, this is obviously aimed at the poor Internet architects that have had to write code for a crappy browser.
I make passing references to the poor security of (unpatched?) IE6 -- and it IS poor compared to IE8.
But mostly, this is about the Internet itself being held back by IE6.
Don't go on calling us sensationalist when your comment is perhaps more so.
ZeRoDec 1st 2009 9:52AM
I would totally agree with you , with one minor caveat. A browser does matter when virals like CodeRed are loose. Or when a website is hacked and has been repurposed to ship malware et .. someone like downloadsquad is hacked to send malware and i visit their site. In the case of a website that exploits older browsers (whom have long ended support cycle) they are more vulnerable. So yes having a newer up to date browser matters, but as you mentioned.... it is rare and in between to get infected when you browse the web with caution.
Nat DarkeJan 8th 2010 1:04PM
IE6 is a bad browser. This is the opinion of EVERY single client side web developer in the world, not because they are being elitist but because it is full of bugs that slow down and, therefore, increase the costs of web development. Web code that is IE6 compatible is considerably more complexed, less consistent and less powerful. Historically, its market domination was also responsible for the development of a number of awful, IE6 only, code practices used by very short sighted developers. Until the number of people that use IE6 falls below 2 or 3%, web developers will be shackled to it, and the web with it. The reason that people like you don't see the big deal is that people like me have to put an enourmous amount of effort to make sure that people like you can still look at web sites in this 9 year old browser. I have spent years accumulating knowledge about the seemingly endless list of bugs in IE6 and knowing every work around or hack that is necessary to make it behave: all that knowledge will be useless when IE6 finally goes, but you cannot imagine the air-punching joy that will be felt by myself and by developers across the world when it does.