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Microsoft decides to automatically update Internet Explorer for everyone

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Re: Microsoft decides to automatically update Internet Explorer for everyone

#161
post #155

What I don't understand is why doesn't Microsoft provide an upgrade that actually allows IE6 (and possibly other versions) to run as they did, on a site specific basis. This way corporations that need some IE6 only app can run them forever, but their employees can still use the rest of the web unhampered by this. Having it possible to run multiple "virtual browsers" within a single browser would also thrill web devel…

I would just like to see a standalone version of IE6, everything wrapped up in one binary, so that the silly, completely unnecessary one-or-the-other choice wouldn't exist.

Such neatness is contrary to Microsoft philosophy, but hey, I see microsoft making wise thought through moves more and more often. Maybe they will slowly become an interesting company again. They're still enjoying the aftermath of the great brainwash of the 90s. But to be fair, there have always been interesting things coming from microsoft. So we'll see.

Re: Microsoft decides to automatically update Internet Explorer for everyone

#162
post #134

Unfortunately our hospital EMR software, which I access from my office, does not work on IE9. I had to downgrade to IE8 to get it working.

Out of professional curiosity, I'd like to ask: do you work in the UK?

No, the US

Re: Microsoft decides to automatically update Internet Explorer for everyone

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>One of the things that really blew my mind this year was a large ($40MM) software development project I became familiar with (a worldwide internal system for a multinational corporation) that concluded -- in 2011 -- and required MSIE 6. MSIE 6! Doesn't even run on MSIE 7, much less any modern browser. This happens all the time at the hospital I work at. I'm constantly flummoxed by how behind the times software vendo…

Probably why so many hospitals are choosing iPad over PCs.

Our software is so tied to PCs and IE that that's not even an option.

Re: Microsoft decides to automatically update Internet Explorer for everyone

#164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the IE8 JavaScript engine is quite slow too I would go with very slow. Faster than IE6, but not by nearly as much as more modern browsers are faster than it. DOM manipulation is very slow compared to more modern browsers (recent versions of Chrome, FF, Opera, ..., even IE9) too. DOM changes being slow is what you'll notice more with most code. As an aside: make sure you set X-UA-Compatible (see http://msdn.microsof…

> I would go with _very_ slow. Yup. Here's a chart to put IE6 v IE8 v IE10 javascript engine into perspective: http://goo.gl/3ACqo

I'm surprised to see that much difference between IE6 and IE8.

Though IIRC the sunspider test is all javascipt processing and no DOM manipulation, so perhaps the fact I pecieve IE8 as not being that much faster may mean that its DOM layer is the bottleneck I'm experiencing. Not unlikely as I don't currently do large amounts of nmuber-crunching and text processing in anything I have to test under IE.

Re: Microsoft decides to automatically update Internet Explorer for everyone

#165
Microsoft once more does a fully automated update? What could POSSIBLY go wrong?!

On the same note, it literally pisses me off how companies decide to intervene with my software installation. Allowing an "opt-out" is worth as much as Google allowing me to opt out of mapping my access point by renaming it.

We are observing a notable shift where personal(!) computers and devices are being turned into consumer devices that we have no control over. Not to speak about the privacy related side effects.

Please, please, please let there soon be a pro-version of Linux on the desktop before the support cycle of Snow Leopard runs out.

Re: Microsoft decides to automatically update Internet Explorer for everyone

#166
post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They want people to buy a newer version of Windows.

Or more accurately, it's not financially viable for a company to support a 10 year old OS.

And yet Firefox and Chrome have no problem releasing modern browsers that work on XP.

Re: Microsoft decides to automatically update Internet Explorer for everyone

#167
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please correct me if I'm wrong! But: >Profitability and cash returns from a business can grow as revenues decline if the company either increases operating efficiency, or reduces in investment in recognition of the declining opportunity. Sure. When I say growth, I mean "make more money this year than you did the year before". This doesn't directly translate into "make more widgets", of course – that's just the (in an…

It's this statement that is incorrect: "In real terms, this means you need to grow your business by at least 3% in order to give me that return." In almost any definition "growing a business" means increasing unit sales, or increasing revenues, or both. Neither is necessary to provide acceptable returns to an investor - there are great investments around in businesses that have long since peaked in terms of unit volu…

Cool!

Duly noted. I was using it as a catch all for "make more profit than the year previous".

Re: Microsoft decides to automatically update Internet Explorer for everyone

#168
The more I see Microsoft bend over backwards for big corps to retard the web, the more I think that maybe big corps should just stay off the web.

Perhaps staying on proprietary, native platforms that don't change as often is their best course in the future.

Re: Microsoft decides to automatically update Internet Explorer for everyone

#169
post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes they can: Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Safari ...

Neat, how do those handle legacy activex sites.

They come with a convenient "minimize" button that the user can click to reveal the IE icon on their desktop.

Re: Microsoft decides to automatically update Internet Explorer for everyone

#170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wrong. An all-Webkit web would be just as bad as an all-IE web. IE and Mozilla serve to keep WebKit honest. Plus, there's no sense in condemning them based on IE6 when IE9 has come so far.

In what way, since IE5.5 and XHR, has IE driven innovation in browsers? Serious question.

They made a lot of mistakes.
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