Windows Vista Users Unjustly Snubbed By IE10
Windows Vista Users Unjustly Snubbed By IE10
Posted 04/17/2011 at 10:08am
| by Justin Kerr
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Internet Explorer 9 made the somewhat controversial decision to leave Windows XP users behind, and IE10 is getting ready to extend the legacy OS snub to Vista users now as well. Microsoft confirmed the rumor this week during its annual MIX conference where a preview version of IE10 was made available, and the company made no apologizes for not supporting Vista.
Find out why after the jump.A Microsoft executive told reporters at the event that supporting Internet Explorer 10 on Windows Vista would have meant “optimizing for the lowest common denominator”. This is an argument we can somewhat understand on the Windows XP front, but Vista? To the best of our knowledge Vista shares many of the same advanced underpinnings that made Windows 7 possible. It introduced a new display & audio subsystem, not to mention the latest and greatest version of DirectX. Windows 7 introduced some amazing new UI features and fixes to items such as UAC, but behind the scenes let’s face it, they just aren’t that different.
It’s possible that Microsoft is taking a hard look at its user base, and given that most of Windows 7 share gain has been at the expense of Vista, it just isn’t worth supporting the tens of millions of remaining users. This is a valid argument, but given that the OS still carries mainstream support until April 2012, and extended support for much longer, it’s still a pretty controversial decision.
Maybe Microsoft will surprise Vista users and release it as an “Ultimate Extra”. Ouch, too soon? (Yes I’m still bitter).
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Cregan89
April 18, 2011 at 8:54am
If you look at Microsoft's latest trends it seems evident that most of their software releases are aimed to support the latest 2 versions of Windows. Seeing as the IE10 release is scheduled to coincide with Windows 8, this pattern applies. Windows has moved to a 3 year release schedule as of Vista, which will make Vista 6 years old at the time of the IE10 and Windows 8 release. For people who refuse to purchase updated software, feel free to continue using out-dated software. But you can't expect companies to continue supporting your out-dated software forever.
I'm getting sick and tired of apparent "tech" people losing their shit any time Microsoft makes a change to any of their software (Vista, Ribbon UI, etc.). If you like the XP interface and it's legacy performance design, or if you like the Office 2003 interface, then fine, continue using the old software version and shut the f*** up! Don't give Microsoft shit for progressing their new software. What's the point of new versions if it's the exact same anyways? The fact is, Windows Vista and Windows 7 made necessary changes to bring the OS up to today’s security and development conventions, breaking compatibility with XP had to be done eventually. Windows Vista and Windows 7 make much better use of today's more powerful hardware and offer considerably better real-word performance than XP on modern hardware. And my biggest nitpick, the Ribbon UI is light-years ahead of the old Office 2003 interface, both in terms of aesthetics and usability. And I am ecstatic that Microsoft is FINALLY updating the majority of their OS's interface with something up to today’s standards! The Ribbon UI is going to make explorer a much more useful application in Windows 8. Anybody that doesn't like the Ribbon UI is simply being lazy, stubborn and a duechbag really. If you'd actually take the time to use the interface and learn it, the Ribbon UI is much more simple and productive than previous UI's.
In short, update your god damn software and you won’t have to worry ;)
Trooper_One
April 18, 2011 at 12:15pm
Cregan89: "then fine, continue using the old software version and shut the f*** up! Don't give Microsoft shit for progressing their new software."
I agree with the majority of what you said - software, security, and interface updates are all important and MS has a right to do what they please as a private company.
On the flip side of the coin is that not everyone can afford an upgrate every few years. What might be chump change at $500 of hardware and $100 of O/S to you and me is quite an expense for someone like a single mom of two young kids or a not-for-profit organisation.
So rather than belittling and berating others (some of whom might be economically disenfrenchised), some options should be shown as an alternative to MS products and encourage a bit of compassion by keeping older O/S'es up-to-date. I am sure with the assets MS have, they can at least keep the older software secure and somewhat updated.
aerotive
April 18, 2011 at 8:36am
This is MS's usual behavior, protect and promote the latest version of their monopoly at all costs. Whether that hurts other divisions is irrelevant.
Short term thinking on their part.
Cregan89
April 18, 2011 at 9:04am
IE10 is actually scheduled to be released in time with Windows 8. So they're "protecting and promoting" their 2 latest versions. Or about 6 years of backwards compatibility. Name one other OS which offers nearly %100 feature update compatibility for 6 years?
Engelsstaub
April 17, 2011 at 10:31pm
I currently use Chrome on Win 7 and OS X. When I'm on Ubuntu I'm using the default Firefox. Screw IE (and Safari for that matter.)
Vista needs to be a footnote in computer history. XP was cool, but people need to move on. If I was trying to get by on legacy hardware, I'd rather use a good Linux distro than XP now. Get off that shit, folks so more viruses can be written to exploit Win 7! j/k
runner7775
April 17, 2011 at 9:10pm
Keeping in mind the IE9 schedule where the first platform preview was released about a year before RTM and release, IE 10 will be out in about a year. This would coincide with the end of mainstream support of Vista, and the end of new features being added to the OS. It makes sense, based on past history and a knowledge of the standard support lifecycles.
Veedek
April 17, 2011 at 7:30pm
Windows 7 is Windows Vista. What it isn't, is Windows 7. Windows Vista is Windows NT 6.0. Windows "7" is Windows NT 6.1. What technical reason would there be for it not to work. Wouldn't it be like the difference between Windows 98 and 98SE?
Also, what will the next version of Windows REALLY be? Windows 7 or Windows "8"?
pocosdad
April 17, 2011 at 3:40pm
As already noted "Who cares?" Firefox, Chrome, & even Maxathon all beat IE at anything they do. And I still use Vista on my laptop along with Mint...that's not changing.
Keith E. Whisman
April 17, 2011 at 1:47pm
I kinda thought that Windows ME was the disaster of all disasters basically equivalent to something on the order of the Japanese earth quake and tsunami.
Slugbait
April 18, 2011 at 12:01am
Nah...the Japanese earthquake and tsunami was just Lane beating the crap out of Mike.
Synthetic
April 17, 2011 at 11:14am
MS is purposely trying to kill off one of the darkest days in the companies history by not supporting any future development on the platform, and can any of you really blame them...?
warptek2010
April 17, 2011 at 3:52pm
Sure we can... they're MICROSOFT. Anyway, it's crap like this that grinds my gears with them... not that I really care if they want to shoot themselves in the foot. They just snubbed millions of Vista users the same way the snubbed millions and millions of XP users by not porting DX11 support, IE... useless, Games for Windows... useless, VISTA... almost useless at first until they fixed it (somewhat), next to Win 7, XP was actually they're greatest OS ever, but whatever... enthusiasts and power users will continue using FF and Chrome and hopefully the GNU and LINUX community will create a developer suite something like .NET to help programmers create better gaming for Linux so MS can start losing market share there too.
Neufeldt2002
April 17, 2011 at 6:56pm
I thought Mono was the Linux equivalent to .Net?
Please make publish to facebook opt-in, not opt-out.
maxeeemum
April 17, 2011 at 11:12am
Who cares!!! I haven't used IE since firefox (around 2004).
This is typical Microsoft BS that no logical thinking person will be able to understand.
ShyLinuxGuy
April 17, 2011 at 10:56am
What's the biggie anyway??? There's Firefox...
Kinda weird though, Vista and 7 are similar in build. MS is inadvertently killing IE market share.
SilverSurferNHS
April 17, 2011 at 11:28am
which is perfectly fine by me... i'd even buy them the shotgun, if they're so eager to pull the trigger on their market share...
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