Microsoft has launched a new website called IE6 Countdown.
The purpose of the site “is dedicated to watching Internet Explorer 6 usage drop to less than 1% worldwide”.
Well I would have loved to have seen this come up a few years ago, although it’s difficult to argue against Better Late Than Never, I suppose.
I find it interesting that Microsoft themselves would try to claim the forefront of watching this problematic browser die in usage. Web developers for years have hated Internet Explorer Version 6. And now Microsoft, the creators of that browser, seem to admit that it was a bad browser, or, at least, that it’s a good thing to see it go away.
Because of IE6, I was skeptical of IE7, IE8, and still to this day I am skeptical of IE9, although I have read more good things about it recently. But even if IE9 is the browser that Microsoft finally does right, I believe IE’s reputation is severely scarred.
Ultimately, I am just glad Microsoft and IE are moving in the right direction. As a web developer, I just want to create usable design experiences for the websites I work on, and I don’t want to deal with the headaches of IE ‘fixes’ any more.
Check out IE6 Countdown and let’s all attend and cheer the funeral!
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
This should have been removed or even banned many years ago. You wouldn’t believe amount of trouble it generates to internet user, not to mention the volubility issues it packed with despite million patches that Microsoft released.
Thanks Eric, enjoyed reading your blog about IE6 Countdown.
You have explained it very well. keep it up
Hi Eric,
It’s a real shame more people don’t about FireFox. I gave up using IE years ago, simply because it was so rigid and inflexible. With FF you can almost create a completed personalised browsing experience compared to Mr “if you want me to change, you’ll have to kill me off”. Got to admit that it’s a great piece of marketing, getting people to watch an old piece of software die, whislt gazing at the works MS, IE and Microsoft. Is there any wonder they are one of the most powerful brands on the planet.
Regards,
Paul.
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very useful website!
I think all Microsoft versions have now becoming a headache to the user. There are lot problems faced by the user.
As another commenter said, it is pretty tragic that Microsoft still have such a grip on PC software that many are still unaware that Firefox, or the other available browsers, exist! To them, the blue E *is* the internet, why would they want to upgrade the internet?
Thankfully, as time goes by, more and more people are becoming net savvy, which is becoming increasingly necessary to be able to function in the modern world.
In my sites numbers I still got a 5% of visitors with IE6 so I have to continue programming my css to work with this version.
Anyway interesting article.
Juan from Argentina.
No I think there is many ppl are still using IE6 in the third world …
I also face a lot of problems with IE. so now I am not using This. now a days many other option available. i am agree with you. Thanks for this article.
To think that it took Microsoft so long to get a hang of things regarding IE is just a pity. As you stated IE’s reputation is seriously scared perhaps beyond repair! I use Chrome as my number one, Firefox next and I test on all others.