Discussion: kill off Internet Explorer

[AaHaa]

I've been musing on this for a long time. Internet Explorer's name is tainted. When I'm discussing browsers with casual users, they all hate Internet Explorer because it's normal. Now this might not be a huge problem, but when I'm discussing browsers with webdevelopers and techies, they can often come up with tons of developer-related reasons why Internet Explorer is inferior to Chrome and Firefox and I find myself agreeing with them. With the latest security bug and stuff, it's starting to feel as if Microsoft would be better of killing of Internet Explorer. Now I'm not saying Microsoft should stop making browsers: it might be a good idea to let some new, hip, trendy browser rise from the ashes of the tained, old Internet Explorer. Even though it might actually be an updated version of Internet Explorer, the new name and marketing might make it succesfull. What do you guys think?

 

[EchoOne30]

I think that's like saying "there are lots of people who don't like Ford, should they shut down the F150 line, you guys?"

Let's be clear, the insider, techie, dev world doesn't like IE. But the rest of the world... doesn't care

They don't care about browsers. They don't see your browser choice as some sort of fashion statement or "cool" factor. No one cares that you use firefox. It doesn't matter.

I personally use IE and chrome. Each has their uses, but my daily is IE. Why? *shrug* why not, it displays websites and I've just been using it forever.

 

[Jas00555]

Listen, AaHaa, I'm not saying get new friends or anything like that, but your friends are certainly NOT representative of the entire population. At all. IE comes with Windows and is what "normal" people usually default to when they get a new computer. The name is not tainted because the majority of people could literally not give a single care in the world about what browser they're using. Don't believe me? Here's a chart that shows IE dominating the competition on computers.

http://www.netmarketshare.com/

 

[Tansen]

Clicking the title of what you posted was mainly for me to see the reasoning behind the suggestion, and I think you might have a point frankly. From my experience, it is the fact that IE is preinstalled on every computer ever, and that those versions are typically outdated and extremely slow. I use IE on my computer almost exclusively with many tabs and windows open constantly, and it runs VERY smoothly especially with a touchscreen for scrolling. The name is a bit dated though, however I can't imagine them just renaming it to something else. I feel that their only real option would be to make a new, differentiated browser that caters to a different crowd, even though the real best solution would be for people to use the most up to date IE.

 

[neo158]

There's nothing wrong with IE, all software including Chrome and Firefox have bugs and Microsoft were quick to identify and patch the flaw. The problem is mind-set, everyone hates on IE because it's the cool, hip thing to do. It seems to me that as MS have been adopting web standards everyone else is creating their own new, proprietary ones, just like MS was doing back in the 90s with IE5 & 6. Do I think they should dump IE and create another browser, no. Do I think they should continue developing IE to be the only browser adhering to web standards, yes.

 

[herbertsnow]

Oh please....

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[kingenu]

yes, they need a new name for it or something, people make jokes about how slow IE is ,even though its not slow, its lost it

 

[berty6294]

Eh I don't think it is the best idea. Too much of the population turn on a computer and think "click on the 'e' to get to my email. (yes I'm talking old people and computer illiterates). Yes the IE name is tainted but not enough to confuse millions... probably best that those people don't know any better then 'e' for email/internet/whatever they call going online as far as market share goes.

 

[AaHaa]

Listen, AaHaa, I'm not saying get new friends or anything like that, but your friends are certainly NOT representative of the entire population. At all. IE comes with Windows and is what "normal" people usually default to when they get a new computer. The name is not tainted because the majority of people could literally not give a single care in the world about what browser they're using. Don't believe me? Here's a chart that shows IE dominating the competition on computers.

Market share for mobile, browsers, operating systems and search engines | NetMarketShare

Yeah I know. So Internet Explorer is "winning" with the general public. But it's most definitely losing in terms of image and popularity with people with a slightly bigger knowledge of technology. It's popularity is also thanks to Window's vast market share, but what if - and by god, I hope we don't - we all start using Chromebooks in a few years? I don't think the general public will take the time to install Internet Explorer on their Chromebooks, because, as you say, they don't care what browser they're using.
If Microsoft would pull it off to automatically update Internet Explorer to a new, fresh, and hip browser, this browser - let's call it Awesome Explorer - will copy Internet Explorer's marketshare. Ship Awesome Explorer with every new Windows PC, shake off Internet Explorer's bad image and it might turn out to be a great strategy for Microsoft, I think.

 

[Kebero]

IE is also integrated with Windows. It's not just a simple web browser that happens to be preinstalled. You can uninstall any third party browser that was preinstalled on Windows without breaking functionality, but not so much with IE.

 

[despertador]

IE having the vulnerability isn't a good argument against it; software is always going to have bugs, whether it be browsers, OSs, music players, or even embedded software in a coffee maker.

Also, as some others mentioned before me, IE is a huge part of the Windows OS; it's used for more than browsing the normal internet. Legacy support to keep the OS and other software running properly would be hard if MS were to scrap IE.

 

[Ordeith]

That last security bug also affected Chrome and Firefox.

and as a Web Developer myself, I have to say Chrome is the biggest causer of headaches these days.

 

[AaHaa]

as a Web Developer myself, I have to say Chrome is the biggest causer of headaches these days.

Really? Would you care to elaborate? My "webdev-friends" often talk about lack of proper CSS3, HTML5, Canvas, JavaScript support and failing to implement new standards in Internet Explorer compared to Chrome. It's hocus-pocus to me so who am I to doubt those arguments... maybe you can!

 

[neo158]

Really? Would you care to elaborate? My "webdev-friends" often talk about lack of proper CSS3, HTML5, Canvas, JavaScript support and failing to implement new standards in Internet Explorer compared to Chrome. It's hocus-pocus to me so who am I to doubt those arguments... maybe you can!

The problem is that many of those "standards" that Google have added aren't part of the HTML5 and CSS3 specs or they are Chrome specific implementations of them. IE supports the ratified HTML5 and CSS3 standards and not things that have yet to be ratified or proprietary things, like WebM support, that other browsers are implementing.

 

[herbertsnow]

Really? Would you care to elaborate? My "webdev-friends" often talk about lack of proper CSS3, HTML5, Canvas, JavaScript support and failing to implement new standards in Internet Explorer compared to Chrome. It's hocus-pocus to me so who am I to doubt those arguments... maybe you can!

Get new friends.

 

[Long Syntax]

You're giving your friends more credit than they deserve by labeling them as experts. I think they're being hipsters. Here's a suggestion - think for yourself.

 

[pankaj981]

As a web developer myself, the first browser i test my pages are on IE, why? Everything renders as expected if coded correctly but not necessarily on chrome, can't say the same about Firefox though. Ideally a web developer should test his/her applications on all browsers but just saying that IE is still considered as the baseline for web developers to test their applications on first. Well on a side note i develop in ASP.Net, SharePoint 2010 and SSRS so kinda biased towards Microsoft and IE

 

[Jazmac]

Nope. As long as there are choices, use them. My default browser is Firefox on the desktop even though I won't set it as the default. IE is the default because Firefox is so full of kludges I recently downloaded Opera. But IE is the browser MS build for its OS. If you don't live on the net, it is the perfect choice for most that use the net. I'll say this too, if they decide to compete in the browser game and I mean really compete, they could build a formidable internet machine. Just ask Netscape.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

I certainly hope not. I love IE and the only issue I have with it is my site doesn't work properly with it(I resort to firefox for it)
Other than that, I hope they don't kill it. I want them to get serious about it

 

[AaHaa]

Yeah ok, I might have formulated it wrong. What I'm talking about is a "symbolic" killing off of Internet Explorer. To please the crowd. When (automatically) updated, another new, fresh browser, that's basically Internet Explorer 12, starts of fresh with a clean slate and no bad image. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation? The experts/hipsters don't have IE to hate on anymore, average users will stay with IE or have the browser update automatically and Microsoft would lose the bad image of IE.

Like Outlook.com! Hotmail wasn't a very strong brand, but they very quickly updated it to Outlook, and Outlook is doing pretty well. It felt, fresh, a new start. I think Microsoft could pull this off with Internet Explorer as well.