Nimrod

June 01, 2011 at 8:33pm

My usage of MS browsers has gone as thus over the last several variations.

Install MS new browser or try the new one that came with the OS.

Launch it, it goes to their gawdy ad ridden website. Try and click some where on the screen. Get a message telling me i cant do that. Close program. Open Task Manager so that i can cancel the task because it wants me to click thru a fuck load of popups and warnings before closing. Uninstall.

I literally have not gotten any further than that with their browsers since they were needed to install Windows updates back in Windows XP.

Fuck IE with a red hot poker god i fucking hate that shit.

MleB

June 01, 2011 at 7:54pm

Slight problem - and one I am certain I am not alone in -

I'm working with a non-profit org at the moment and some of their workaday machines are (for cost saving reasons) still slogging away running Windows 2000. Hey, they do all that is required of them with this OS on older machines. Thing is, while I have installed another browser as the default and have done as much protective maintainance as the OS (and the software) can handle, even just updating Windows manually results in the OS opening up IE6, rather than a standalone program - and IE is so embedded in the OS (as we know) there is no opportunity to get rid of it.

Of course, one can always wait for Windows to update automatically, but IE6 still lurks and Windows 2000 resolutely refuses to update to a more modern version. Who is this security challenge more likely hurting - a non-profit that can ill-afford (or justify) a hardware/OS update. 

majorsuave

June 01, 2011 at 6:56pm

Netscape 0.74%  WOW!

lindethier

June 01, 2011 at 4:40pm

Ever since I started using Chrome, that has been my goto browser. I like the look of IE 9, but not enough to make it my browser of choice.

Only use IE if I have to, as there are a few sites out there that don't play nice with anything other than IE.

Holly Golightly

June 01, 2011 at 3:55pm

I.E.9 looks very nice in my opinion. I only use Chrome to go experimental. You can not trust every website out there, but Chrome is secured. Also, I use chrome because I.E.9 does not have an ad blocker. If I.E.9 had an ad blocker, I would be using it exclusively. Now if you want to know about my preferred browser, that is easy. NetScape Navigator all the way!!!

D00dlavy

June 01, 2011 at 3:26pm

I don't, and never really did, understand all the IE hate.

IE 6 wasn't bad *for its time* but it was kept around for too long.

I thought IE 8 and IE 9 were/are GREAT browsers.  Never used FireFox.  Not an Appletard so I don't use Safari.  I use Chrome for Gmail and Google Docs.

Listen, I'll sit around and talk operating system wars until I'm blue in the face.  I also still like the whole PC gaming vs. console thing.  But browsers?  Really, who gives a flying f--k?  You've got several good options.  Pick one and STFU.

Baer

June 01, 2011 at 3:22pm

I am one that went back to IE after I used IE9 for a week. I had gone to Firefox and I have tried most of the rest. Chrome is fast but I just never could warm up to it. I still like Firefox but Safari just plain sucks. I will not bother to even list all the things about it that I do not like. IE9 is fast and really easy to use, it just plain works. Even though I have other browsers loaded I have found that I am now using IE9 virtually all the time.

I do agree that a new name and some marketing coolness would help it gain share.

D00dlavy

June 01, 2011 at 3:18pm

"Microsoft needs to ditch IE - the name and the code - and start over."

Um... why?  What do you know about the code that they don't?  IE9 is quite solid.  Using it happily.

someuid

June 01, 2011 at 2:41pm

I'm am still surprised at work when I ask a person to open Internet Explorer and go to page [whatever] and they look at me like I'm from Saturn and speaking through a kazoo.  They still don't know what IE is.  I have to tell them The Blue E (dolts.)

I don't use it because IE just makes me shudder like remembering a time I drank too much or did something stupid at work.  Microsoft let IE6 stagnate after they had, what, 102% market share along with their cheap attempt to corner and control open standards.  For that, Microsoft deserve the pummeling they are getting.

Microsoft needs to ditch IE - the name and the code - and start over.  A new browser that is very lean and standards compliant to the T with a name that will stick with people.

I doubt it will happen with Balmer in the lead, so I'll just happily keep using Chrome and FF.

Gezzer

June 01, 2011 at 1:56pm

I work for a very large Supermarket chain. The default system for their computers is an HP P4 running WinXP and IE6. The systems don't really need to be any better because the majority of the software used is cloud based from the head office's server/s. I think corporate users will be the last hold outs in regards to IE6 and for the reason I've stated will prevent IE6 from ever finally being laid to rest.

My self I've been using Chrome for the longest time. Except for a lot of crashes for the first 6 months or so it's been great. I have IE9 installed but all most never use it.

About the only thing I wish Chrome could do was save links to Windows favorite's link in the start menu. If it could I'd never use IE again. I should try to find a Chrome add on that can do that. lol 

lien_meat

June 01, 2011 at 1:30pm

I'm a web developer/programmer, and my job would be probably 300% easier if IE was to go extinct.  The majority of javascript oddities, css, and html rendering issues that I encounter after a project is considered "done" (so bugs) are due to the way IE implements the different standards.  Usually FF, chrome, opera and safari act largely the same (not always, but 99% of the time), but IE, nope.  It's always the odd ball, and sometimes requires a lot of time to work out what exactly is causing it fits (the debugging tools for IE are very sub par compared to other browsers), usually orders of magnitude more time than it typically takes to debug a similar issue on other browsers.

What's worse is oftentimes, a fix for IE8 won't work for IE7, and IE6 is just a lost cause sometimes (particularly true for JS and CSS), and IE9, while typically behaving better, has it's own bugs that are not solved by fixes for previous versions of IE.  Basically, every version of IE requires different code to fix bugs (especially css issues), whereas most of the time, other browsers will only require one fix, and they act fine after that across all versions.  This is a major headache, time and money waster, and a major reason why my department recommends ff and chrome use.

If IE was to disappear tomorrow, I think most web developers would probably throw a huge party...especially the css/design guys (of which I am not one of).  It's just been a plague to develop for and maintain websites that are cross-browser compatible.

Joji

June 01, 2011 at 1:07pm

My parents did not like IE9 because of its simplicity. Even though I added all the built-in toolbar stuff to make it look like IE8, they didn't like it.

It would be nice if MaximumPC made an article about all the great things IE9 has to offers for non-techie people like my parents. ^^ Just saying.

And I'm surprised, more than 50% of the people in this world still use IE6!? That's... astanoshing. I wonder why they didn't bother to upgrade?

 

Edit: Come to think of it, some banks like RBC in Canada still uses IE6 for doing their stuff. Kinda random...

Ghok

June 01, 2011 at 12:50pm

The only time I use IE is when some program launces it for whatever reason. Game for Windows Live used to do it, and might still, but thankfully I haven't had to use that in some time.

tiger_shark

June 01, 2011 at 12:27pm

i don't think IE6 will ever die, not at least from where I work. The default browser here is still IE6, though , i use FF4 here for tab browsing purposes.

Maybe it's easier for admin to monitor our activities and make restrictions easier than later versions of IE or other browsers.