Microsoft Finally Pushing IE6 Users to Upgrade
Out with the old, in with the new!
You may be well beyond Internet Explorer 6. You're likely to have upgraded to 7, then now 8, or maybe moved onto an alternative browser such as Chrome, Safari or Firefox – but a surprising 23.3 percent hasn't yet.
The 23.3 percent usage of Internet Explorer 6 makes it still the most widely used internet browser. IE7 trails at 18.2 percent and IE8 at 18.1 percent.
While Microsoft is likely happy that internet users are sticking with Microsoft software, it isn't so pleased that the biggest chunk is still running browser technology from eight years ago.
Given the Internet Explorer is a free product, the motive for Microsoft in urging users to get caught up with the times is more to do with security and the advancement of the web. Browsers developed after IE6 are better equipped to handle modern websites and multimedia – as well as better adherence to web standards.
Microsoft is now running a campaign from now through June 2010 that'll urge users to upgrade.
"What we're doing with the outreach is help users understand how to protect themselves against social engineering threats that exist and to help people understand how Internet Explorer 8 puts people in control of their own privacy online," said Ryan Servatius, senior product manager for Internet Explorer, according to CNet.
Part of the reason why IE6 still has such a foothold is because it shipped with Windows XP, which is also the most widely used version of Windows today. Those moving to Windows 7 will naturally also move to IE8. The real challenge ahead for Microsoft will be to convince corporate users to upgrade – hopefully by way of a completely OS overhaul.
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I'd guess about 90% of that 23.3 are just too stupid to realise that there are better, safer browsers out there which could be upgraded to in the time it takes to send one email.
I get this all the time in my job - the majority of that percentage will be corporate users who are locked to IE6 because their intranet apps are written specifically for IE6 (and the developers/companies are either too lazy or insufficiently funded to update them) or are 3rd world users with hardware incapable of moving past IE6.
However much I'd like both those groups to move on I have to accept they won't any time soon, if ever.
If you're not part of that list, catch the fudge up ffs there's no excuse!
"are 3rd world users with hardware incapable of moving past IE6"
What? I doubt any version of IE is held back by hardware...
@rudski:
Allow me to clarify: Windows 2000 can't go past IE6 and last time I had access to some figures (which was a while ago admittedly) a lot of old and recycled machines in the 3rd world were running Windows 2000.
Those machines running Windows XP were only just capable of running stripped-down installs of Windows XP, and having played with an old Pentium III system a while back you *really* don't want to try running IE7 or (heaven forbid) IE8 on that.
It's a shame the OLPC thing never really kicked into high gear because there would've been some half-decent tech going out which would've sorted this part of the issue.
IE6 is a terrible browser that should be banned full stop. It's a nightmare for developers and has horrendous user experience. I find it hard to believe its that hard to upgrade even on a large business network.
It works...
If it's not broken don't fix it. I work for a 100,000+ company who use IE6. Changing browser would be a logistical nightmare, and what do the company gain?
Personally I use IE 6 by intent! It is my favorite browser.
I have tried, but don't like Firefox, Opera, Apple Safari, Google, IE 7, nor IE 8.
I don't like tabbed browsing (which can be turned off, I know), and hope that I can use IE 6 as long as possible, and won't be forced to update.