Bing muscles in on IE6 users
Summary
Microsoft doesn't have an explanation yet as to why Bing is making itself the default search engine on IE6 but not IE7 or IE8.
Topics
Microsoft confirmed on Tuesday that it is looking into an issue in which users of Internet Explorer 6 are forced into having Bing as their default search engine.
"We are aware of the issue with Bing on machines running IE6 and are investigating a solution," Microsoft said in a statement. "This issue is not impacting IE7 and IE8 users."
Although it is only affecting its older browser, many people still use IE6 and Microsoft has faced a lot of regulatory scrutiny over how default search preferences are set and changed within Internet Explorer. A recent Forrester Research study showed that 60 percent of businesses are still using IE6.
The issue crops up just as Microsoft plans to formally launch Bing. Among its planned promotions is a huge ad campaign as well as an event Tuesday night at Seattle's Space Needle.
The IE6 issue was noted earlier on Tuesday by Search Engine Land.
This article was originally posted on CNET News.
Talkback Most Recent of 15 Talkback(s)
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Why Bing Fails
Because just a Microsoft is the most untrusted company in the world, why should any search results from the same untrusted company be trusted.
drf9993rd Jun 2009 -
Is that a truly logical reason!?
Bing is a search engine. It has NOTHING to do
with the company being trustworthy or
untrustworthy. The results are going to be or
similar to Yahoo or Google. so drf999, why is it
different if the search engine is Microsoft's
compared to Google or Yahoo? Do you feel they are
more trustworthy?
GameOvR3rd Jun 2009 -
re: Why Bing Fails
"Bing is not Google, but it is a spin engine."
"...the most concise summary of why Google is beating Microsoft can be seen by typing this phrase into your browser: Bingisnotgoogle.com . Google is always one step ahead of Redmond .
^o^
n0neXn0ne3rd Jun 2009 -
Curious
How come Bing which is not an installable application can cause to change the search default set to its site!
May be some already existing application is doing this!
Arun (sreearun)3rd Jun 2009 -
n0neXn0ne3rd Jun 2009
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RE: Bing muscles in on IE6 users
Sure it's not a "feature"?..
SystemVoid3rd Jun 2009 -
Not even MS knows why!
A Registry of Rubberbands connecting code. It just a mine field.
LittleGuy3rd Jun 2009 -
RE: Bing muscles in on IE6 users
So Bing sets itself as the default search engine. I don't see what the problem is here. Have you ever used Bing? I've been using it constantly since it was released and its been pure pleasure. The results are relevant, the suggestions are relevant. I can't see how setting it as the default could possibly be a bad thing. Its the default search engine on all my browsers.
Loverock Davidson3rd Jun 2009 -
....
Python 2.6.2 (release26-maint, Apr 19 2009, 01:56:41) [GCC 4.3.3] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. print LD[:4] + '', LD[4:].replace('r', 'c').upper()
(^o^)
n0neXn0ne3rd Jun 2009 -
InAction Man3rd Jun 2009 -
InAction Man3rd Jun 2009
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IE6 should be killed.
There's zero reasons to use IE6 anymore, and it's a tremendous headache for web developers. Frankly, it should be killed.
CobraA13rd Jun 2009 -
Try telling that to ...
... the millions of businesses around the world that are running line-of-business apps that depend on IE6's behaviour.
Many of those systems were written by people who are no longer available and for which the source is no longer available or readily updatable.
Forcing these business to have to change their browser - which they're perfectly happy with - just because you say so doesn't make sense.
de-void-211655906503018060028363377870233rd Jun 2009 -
millions?
I seriously doubt that there are millions of businesses that foolishly
hired folks who are no longer available to update their apps.
IE6's behavior is that of a browser that ignores web standards 80% of
the time, thus making mine and many other's jobs that much more
time-consuming and subsequently our products less affordable for
those millions (seriously millions) of companies that need to update
their online presence.
If you're perfectly happy with IE6 as a browser, then you're perfectly
happy with a sub-par web experience.
Many sites I develop, all of which support IE6, simply abandon some
of the coolest features in IE6's case. They work in IE6, but they aren't
half as nice.
If you're still using IE6, I implore you to please do yourself a favor and
just give Firefox a try just for two days. It's a whole new Internet!
tdblanchard4th Jun 2009 -
Browser Wars - Video Review
Looking to see what the latest results are on the latest browsers? Check out this video review which shows you each browser benchmarked:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJURCUevlIA
Cheers
PCWizKid3rd Jun 2009
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