Google upgrades Gmail for IE 6 users

There's a lot of action in the browser market these days: Google just launched its Chrome browser, Firefox 3.1 is due in months, Apple hopes Safari will spread across the world of Windows, and Microsoft is touting its second beta of Internet Explorer 8.

But a huge swath of Internet users is still getting by with IE 6, which is no doubt is why Google just released a new version of Gmail for the vintage 2001-era browser.

The update means IE 6 users will get access to colored labels for messages, Gmail Labs features, integration with AOL Instant Messenger, and invisible mode for IM, Google engineer Jon Perlow said on Google's Gmail blog on Friday. The upgrade catches IE 6 users up to features available to users of Firefox 3, IE 7, and Safari 3.

Google said it worked with Microsoft's IE engineers on some of other issues, including memory-related performance issue when running JavaScript programs in the browser, and Google pared back some user interface features that had been causing trouble for IE 6 users.

[Imalittleteapot]

Huh. Right now I'm actually on the last machine at work that has IE 6 on it and while a few Gmail features weren't availble I didn't notice any problems with Gmail. This is nice to know even though this computer probably won't have 6 on it much longer. Thems the breaks though I suppose.

[limefan913]

Why? Just why? It's a big circle of irritation. I don't want to ever see IE6 again, but yet I keep needing to deal with it because people won't upgrade or move to another browser.

For example, the IT department hasn't moved about half the computer labs to IE7, STILL. It's not a matter of needing it, everything used runs fine in IE7 and Firefox. But nooo, we still have to have IE6 in the library.

In a world where web standards move fast, there's no logical reason for non business computers to ever run IE6.

Microsoft: Find a way to kill that god forsaken browser. I'm tired of checking my code to make sure it works in an obsolete application, or at least works well enough that it's not hideous. I'd like to move into 2008 please.

Yes. I'm bitter.

[mbf1]

"Microsoft: Find a way to kill that god forsaken browser. I'm tired of checking my code to make sure it works in an obsolete application, or at least works well enough that it's not hideous. I'd like to move into 2008 please."

The HTTP + JavaScript + CSS + AJAX + REST + ... world that we live in now is only possible because of programs like IE6 and IE5 and IE4 and Netscape 3 and Netscape 2. It's a fact that Windows XP shipped with IE6, so the fact that it still has a lion's share of web browsers is unremarkable. The way that Microsoft will kill IE6 is by releasing Windows 7 with IE8 and selling more copies of Windows Vista and Windows 7 than Windows XP. Until most people get new hardware, they won't disrupt their status quo by installing newer versions of software unless IT mandates it or their children do it.

Between Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, IE 5, 6, 7, and now 8, Netscape, Opera, and the plethora of other web browsers out there, W3C standards and ACID tests one thing is clear: Flash or XAML have fewer implementations than X/HTML, and flash is the winner here by longevity. With REST-ful sites and Flash and XAML and JavaScript based web apps, we have hit a point where making web pages really is back to coding, and the platforms are all powerful, complicated, and you need to test on them all or take the Microsoft/Hotmail approach - limit the non-tested browsers to a poorer experience and nag the customers to switch (i.e. Chrome visiting hotmail).

I like some aspects of Chrome, in particular the process isolation and tearable tabs. The download mechanism seems broken to me - consuming browser real estate for downloaded files after they finish. The loss of the mouse wheel button to scroll around is the loss of my favorite navigation mechanism. "Incognito mode" is nice - at the same time that IE8 brings out the same feature - both lagged behind other browsers, but it's a nice feature.

Application mode is something that I just don't get - having a shortcut to an "app" like GMail is nice, but what if I want to click a link? Not having an addressbar in the web browser is akin to not having a carriage return in a word processor.

[DrtyDogg]

applause to google
<p>D

[tekwiz4u]

It's cool that Google recognizes peeps with IE 6. Way to to Google!! :)

[The_Decider]

"peeps with ie 6" are using it by choice. They have earned and deserve all the pain that brings.

[DrtyDogg]

choice is good[p]Drtydogg

[cnotation]

Well. I think this is a interesting move on Google's part. They are sort of making Microsoft look old and buggy. Hence their motivation for developing their own browser (which I happen to like). Still, its still very exotic and firefox or IE are always popping up on my computer. I don't see Chrome catching up with even IE6 anytime soon.

[jfrdricks]

I tried Chrome-- didn't like it. Went back to firefox.

[Imalittleteapot]

Uh...Congratulations I guess? That's not really what this topic is about you know? You also know Chrome is just a beta right? You weren't really supposed to switch to it. You were just suppose to try it out and then maybe switch later when it's actually a finished product. Oh well, some people.

[Mr. Dee]

It seems like IE 7 broke a whole lot of web pages and still does why Microsoft has not integrated it with even SP3 for XP. Its rough when you do a clean install of Windows XP and then you have to upgrade the browser in the process. I am typing this on Firefox anyway, IE 7 and even version 8 to some degree is slower, performance seems to be Microsoft's bane. This is one browser Microsoft won't be getting rid of anytime soon (both IE 6 and Ff), The computer lab I go to still have Windows 2000 Pro machines they don't have any plans to change anytime soon and they are maxed out at IE 6, some still chugging along with IE 5.01.

[bblande]

Wow.....not upgrading just for the sake of resisting. IE6 is vastly inferior to FF3 and even Microsoft's own IE7.

[DrtyDogg]

very true

Drtydogg

[James7777777]

I wish they had simply cut off support of IE6, we really need a big website to stop support for it. This would push people to upgrade and we can all finally move on.

[Conspiracy Therorist]

Everyone has their own priorities. At the top of my list for browsers is NO CLUTTER. IE6 allows me to collapse the tool bar to ONE LINE.
I speak English and I do not appreciate being pushed to learn Iconese; all those pretty icons do not improve function they just take up space. Caveman used pictures to communicate because he had no spoken/written language; why are we going backwards?
I have tried IE7 several times and keep going back to IE6; not for the sake of resistance but because it better fits my needs.