13% still use it?
I don't jump at every software update but being a repairman I come across all sorts of ancient crap that no one has had parts for in many many years. The customers still whine about the fact that I cannot get these parts knowing how old their crap is.
This software is free and pretty much loads itself when installed. I just cannot comprehend why people would stay with software that is that old.
Google phasing out support for IE6
Summary
Starting March 1, Internet Explorer users must be running at least version 7 of the browser in order to properly use Google Docs and Google Sites.
Topics
Google has clearly had enough with Internet Explorer 6.
As of March 1, Google will no longer support IE6 on its Google Docs and Google Sites services, it announced Friday. IE users will have to upgrade to at least version 7 if they want to use those products, as "many other companies have already stopped supporting older browsers like Internet Explorer 6.0 as well as browsers that are not supported by their own manufacturers," the company said in a blog post.
Use of the IE6--considered much weaker than more recent versions of IE within the security community--has been dropping with the release of Internet Explorer 8 but it is still being used by 13.5 percent of Web surfers, according to statistics from StatCounter.
For more on this story, read Google phasing out support for IE6 on CNET News.
Talkback Most Recent of 26 Talkback(s)
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MoeFugger1st Feb 2010 -
Many don't have a choice.
Microsoft aided and abetted many database providers to make crappy "out-of-the box" (IE6 dependent) relational and content managing systems for small and large companies. Many of their "features" were just integrated browser components, Outlook components, and other MS products wrapped in a pretty shell made of sloppy code and macros. The people that sold them wrote more of the DB as they went along then they did before implementation and made a killing on "hourly support" after they convinced these same managers they could cut costs by buying cheap. Now they can't afford to update without looking like idiots. In many cases the data can't be migrated at all without a huge amount of effort.
That said, I think anything that lets people migrate away from IE (any version) is a good thing. Software with specific browser dependencies are just a bad idea.
Socratesfoot1st Feb 2010 -
Completely agree...
...and that includes not just DB systems. There are tons of legacy web apps that are 100% IE6 dependent. It served Microsoft since it kept Opera and Mozilla (then Firefox) at bay.
Now, most of that projects are either canceled or under minor budgets. According to my experience, some of them attempted to go IE7 and failed miserably (there are even some WPF nightmares in between).
Now, Microsoft and company are telling us to migrate to IE8, that is, migrate again from IE7. Too much code recoding and not much budget nowadays.
My take. Go Firefox or Chrome at this moment and forget all the IE nonsense. It's not perfect but both have a better long term strategy and aren't plagued by a bureaucratic entity which starts and stops browser development as he pleases.
cosuna2nd Feb 2010 -
One of the stuck in
My company was a microsoft certified partner that bought into the IE6 integration. Now we have a couple hundred thousand PC's all running XP and IE6 that can never be upgraded because of these issues. MS might have shot themselves in the foot here as not only cant we afford to dump IE6 we also can't upgrade from XP either. Any new PC we get is downgraded to XP and IE6 before it is deployed. Thanks MS.
EricKrofchak@...3rd Feb 2010 -
RE: Google phasing out support for IE6
What is Internet Explorer? I can't seem to find it in the Ubuntu repositories?
Ampers
ampers@...1st Feb 2010 -
Here a free knowledge post....
Well to inform you, it's a derelic and discountinued web browser that was "State of the Art"(more like state of the crap if you ask me) when it came out. It was made by MS and was the default browser in Windows XP...
Should no longer be used but some websites have difficulties displaying in IE7 or IE8 therefore Corporate still use it...
Ceridan1st Feb 2010 -
GOOD NEWS!! Maybe Google can force progress.
I'm glad to hear somebody is trying to force those IE6 users into the 21st century. I just hope IE7 isn't still being offered to IE6 users as an upgrade. They'll never catch up if they only move one version at a time.
My only hesitation is that I wonder if Google is someday going to be trying to force all of us into Chrome from what we use now.
BillDem1st Feb 2010 -
it kind of sounds like they helped the problem
why bother supporting something that old?
Oh yeah. They wanted the money.
John Zern1st Feb 2010 -
Google
I agree with you John Zern. Google has done an enormous amount of work to degrade the IE browser.
WAArnold2nd Feb 2010 -
Forcing users to the 21st century
isn't just the issue of a browser. Like many others (I don't have stats) I run a W2k box and don't see a reason to ditch a perfectly good and smooth running machine because of a browser. IE 6 is incorporated into the OS. If there were a way for me to update the browser to IE 8 I sure would for the security of it. Otherwise I will continue to use Firefox for internet use.
I think it's interesting, though, that on my Vista machine I still prefer Firefox over IE 8 because of the flexibility and familiarity at this juncture.
aussiedawg2nd Feb 2010 -
History lesson - IE 6 did NOT come with Windows 2000.
Windows 2000 (Pro and Server) came with IE 5.5 by default. You could upgrade it to IE 6 after it was released.
IE 6 was introduced with Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
Wolfie2K32nd Feb 2010 -
RE: History lesson - IE 6 did NOT come with Windows 2000
WRONG, Wolfie2k3! Win2000 came with IE 5.01, NOT
IE 5.5. WinME came with IE 5.5. I know because
I've used to use these old OSes on those old
machines. Now I use XP SP3 with IE8 upgraded from
IE6 SP3.
ep-man3rd Feb 2010 -
RE: Google phasing out support for IE6
This is the first TalkBack article where all the posters
agree! Yay!
amiarage@...1st Feb 2010 -
just wait
All the IE6 users are still loading the page.
tmsbrdrs2nd Feb 2010 -
Google just being "evil"...
Google just pulling this stunt to get users to use their Chrome Browser.
Personally, I think Chrome has a LOOOONG way to go to catch up to Firefox!
NO, I don't use IE at all for anything on my Windoze computer! I actually have IE blocked by my firewall.
I use Firefox on it and my Linux box. 
btljooz1st Feb 2010
Talkback - Tell Us What You Think
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