Comments on: Planning to dump IE? Think again

Web sites that cater to Microsoft's browser continue to make life hard for switchers to other software.

[bradleyland]

You can state your opinion, but you can't deny the problem

I have to chuckle when I read that an "administrator" has over 100 computers running IE with NO adware or spyware. This has to be the result of one of two scenarios:

A) Those are the best 100+ end users I've ever heard of.
B) The administrator doesn't know what kind of problems he really has.

It's virtually unheard of, and while IE has plenty of security flaws, it's no mystery that the majority of infections (of any type) are the result of users shortcomings as much as the software. The big problems are just beginning to plague us. The recent JPEG exploit comes to mind.

It is not unforeseeable to me that the day will come where businesses that are NOT running certain MS technologies will gain a competitive advantage by the way of reduced administrative costs. This is not to say that all MS software is bad. To the contrary, I really like most of the MS software I use. There are just certain tasks that are too risky to depend upon IE.

[zeekec]

Another reason to require IE

Another reason to require IE is to steal information from users or install viruses. In effect, sites that require the use if IE are enabling the spread of malicious code. Any site that requires IE should be listed as a potential securtity threat.

[phoobar]

Moving to Linux is not as scary as it used to be.

Have you had more than your fair share of Microsoft induced headaches? I decided just this morning that I had, and that it was time to retire my efforts to remain a loyal windows user for good. You've had headaches, heartaches, hassles and downright harrassment to endure if you've tried to stick to windows over the last 10 years; and it's just going to get worse in the future. You have adware, malware, spyware, virii, hijackers, spam, updates that cause more problems than they solve, and if all that's not bad enough Microsoft themselves now appear to be quite clearly bent on destroying their own user base. 300 to 1200 Bucks on what's SUPPOSED to be a PROFESSIONAL operating system and yet one may still find it easier to fdisk it all away than to fix it. How many other people here have been fdisking and flushing since the days of Windows 95 and STILL find themselves doing it? LEMME SEE THEM HANDS!! Well not me, not anymore. I picked up my 3 disc set of Linux I'd set back since acquiring them about a month ago and watched it install and accept and embrace all my hardware (with the exception of the soundcard I'm still working on that one) heck it even made use of the usb port and the webcam attached to it. I was stunned with the ease I found in setting up my broadband connection (sittin' here hidin' behind my router/switch - have to keep a 98 box in the house to keep control of it still). I was up and running around on the web LINUX POWERED by 9 a.m. WHAM! HEY BILL! Ya know one of those clients that went poof and didn't come back this morning that was me and HA it felt GOOD to slam the axe down. After just a few hours with the new Mandrake Linux 10 community I can see why others made the switch to Linux already. If you want TRUE POWER over your operating system, power that a blind (ex)windows user like myself didn't even know one could attain (with such obscene simplicity); forget windows. Put Microsoft and all the problem and fix runaround mook games behind you forever. They're all in bed together you know. And they're all having one tremendous laugh at your expense. I've been cruising around with Mozilla all day now and haven't had even so much as a single pop up slide or skip or sneak past it's onboard pop up stomper. I didn't have to check for any updates or install any updates (or worry about what disatrous effects they may have once installed) or get nagged by anything in any way shape or form ever since the install was complete. ANd you know what else is funny? All the s***T, excuse me; added "stuff" I had to have to maximize my online or offline experience pleasure or enjoyment with windows? I'm finding almost all of it comes with or is easily attainable in Linux for NOTHING. I was kicking myself for a little bit this morning for not having dumped windows a long time ago. I've been a loyal windows customer for 10 years now but trust me you won't regret dumping windows for Linux. I find myself laughing because it all makes me think of the blue pill red pill thing in the matrix. Take the red pill. Oh haha and yeah then there's wine for any games you might not be ready to let go of just yet, yeah the lil microsoft club members are a lil worried about that one too. They better be because all these factors combined WILL be THE DEATH OF MICROSOFT. Haha yeah I've crossed over my skills and strengths are part of the Linux community now and they'll NEVER belong to windows again. WAH, microsoft, wah, wah, wah,...you brought it on yourselves. Oh yeah one more thing then I'm done. Bill, you're a ......punk.

[nickshanks]

IE Detection Quiz Suggestion

I would like to suggest using this method to deal with IE users
who come to your site:

http://web.nickshanks.com/ie/

Non-standards MS

I remember how Microsoft tried to embed the web into the operating system with Win95 and got into trouble for doing so.
One thing that constantly annoys me is MS's reluctance to use standards, rather prefering surfers to embrace a Microsoft only vision of the web. I am worried that they'll try to get rid of xhtml, css etc. which is the only way I program for the web now. They clearly don't want to share the web with anyone else.
And lastly, I don't want every computer I own to connect to the web anyway. I use a standalone computer for the web to avoid viruses getting onto important files - and a web connection can cause performance issues e.g. video editing.

Try Maxthon - IE Engine so it works like IE but with Tabs & MORE!

I tried Firefox and really liked it but the lack of IE compatability really interferred with my using it. Things like my webmail (oddpost.com) and Cogno's ReportNet and even logging into our intranet didn't work. I went looking for an IE replacement and found Maxthon (formerly MyIE). It is IE based so it works PERFECTLY with everything but it has tabbed browsing, strong popup protection, even ad blocking.

[thulemanden]

Security in Maxthon?

Yes it has the needed functionality and is stable. I have no doubt MS shoud by the thing or the technology. Only we all crave competition and alternatives.

I wonder if it is safer than IE itself - although I do not expect to run a system without additional protection anyway.

Blame the web-designers!

I'm tired of hearing people placing the blame on browsers for
being "incompatible" with websites. There are published
standards governing the technologies used to build websites
((X)HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc..). It is up to browser developers
AND web designers to follow these standards.
Firefox, Mozilla, Safari, Opera all have excellent support for the
standards - none are perfect but all are considerably more
complete than IE's support for the standards. If a website doesn't
work well (or at all) with those browsers the chances are that the
responsible are incompetent.
It *is* possible to make fully standards compliant, easy-to-use
and pretty websites that work well in all browsers (incl. IE).
Infact, adhering to the standards generally means that websites
will be more accessible to disabled visitors (such as blind
people) and be easier for search engines like Google to index. If
a "professinal" web designer fails to use the relevant
technologies properly then they are incompetent. It's as simple
as that!
People may wonder why browser developers don't just emulate
Internet Explorer's quirky behaviours and proprietary extras so
that they can display badly made, IE-only websites too.
Unfortunately this is not always possible and is definitely not
desireable. You see, the official web standards are maintained by
an independent organisation (which has representatives from
many companies and institutions INCLUDING MICROSOFT) -
whatever they publish is openly available to anyone and there
are NO licensing fees or patents covering them. That is why
Opera, the Mozilla foundation and you (if you were interested)
can read the standards and implement them. Microsoft's own
extensions on the other hand are owned by them - noone else
has any influence over their development, they may be covered
by fees and/or patents and there are no guarantees they will be
around for ever (if Microsoft changes it's mind about them or
they could just disappear in the next IE). Basically this means
that any other browsers need to reverse engineer these
extensions and may be taking legal risks doing so. And since
they cannot influence the future directions of these extensions
they will always need to play catch-up with Microsoft. Therefore
it would be unfair to expect this of them.
The browser developers of Firefox et al are doing a fantastic job.
If you find a site that doesn't work don't blame them - blame the
site's designers. They should stick to the standards and ignore
any proprietary extensions. The result will be more freedom for
users like you and I to choose browsers, reaching a larger
audience with the website (100% of people instead of 90%). It's
win-win!

[fdv]

Remove IE, for real

Go read my process at:
http://www.vorck.com/remove-ie.html
Or, if you just want it done and not understand the process:
http://nuhi.msfn.org
You can remove IE (MSOE, etc etc etc etc etc) and STILL keep the HTML subsystem for help files, BTW. Or, you can remove that, too.
Spread the word.
These things are the result of people who refuse to accept phrases like "it can't be done..."

[thulemanden]

Drop IE for software updates

MS -Why not make the updates outside of IE, like in FTP or other suitable protocol?

It would be an easy score on the competition scoreboard. Surely IE can not be necessary for software updates.

[thulemanden]

The lions roar well tonight

Hear hear - yes, it's the limitations of the web developers we should turn to.

Their limitations may though be ruled by the director's economy. behind any jounralist is an editor and behind any editor a director and behind her a board and behin dthe board - the stock holders. They all do not like to bargain profit for ideals.

After all, 99% of enterprises are not charities.

I see the solutions as legislating towards all web publishing should follow a certain standard (W3C not MS).

If it can be done on copyright and encryptions, it can be done on web standards.

When a fire is burning - add more lawyers!

[keisoko]

MSNBC.com, Windows Update and non-IE browsers

I use Maxthon (formerly MYIE2) browser. I have no problem accessing most sites on the Internet including MSNBC.com or Windows Update site. I never went to Expedia.com, so I can not say anything about that. It offers the same features as Mozilla or Opera minus the headache of web sites not loading correctly.

The web needs to grow up

Well, the web needs to evolve past supporting only one platform, people need to realize that we don't live in a one horse town, this is the worldwide web, where anyone could be working with any software, and we need to deliver the content to anyone anywhere, not just a specific group of users.

[johnchartrand]

Every time I create a website, I waste time trying to get CSS to work with IE. I wish IE would just go away. I wish Microsoft would just go away. The only solution is for PC manufactures to get another Operating system or for everyone to buy Macs and never look back.