How difficult is it to discard Internet Explorer?
Opinions - Speculations October 1st, 2004
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How difficult is it to discard Internet Explorer?
Recent months have been terrible for Internet Explorer. There has been tons of bug and security flaw reported. So much so, many security agencies have started recommending people who surf online to shift to alternate browsers. And the move has been supported by the emergence of Firefox, which is just about to reach its first final release. But the move may not be as smooth as it seems.
As per reports, Internet Explorer still commands more than just a majority of the market share. Most sites report the share at more than 90%. That is a huge number which would take sometime to drop down to more reasonable levels. And the result of this huge gap between the users of Internet Explorer and other browsers is that, there are many important websites out there (including online banking websites), which are developed specifically keeping the IE users in mind. One of the primary reasons for these sites to be compatible just with Internet Explorer is the usage of proprietary technologies like ActiveX, which is only supported in IE out of the box.
Another major hurdle in moving on to other browsers is that Microsoft’s WindowsUpdate website which let users download patches for Microsoft related applications only works with Internet Explorer. This is almost ironical that to patch Internet Explorer, we have to use Internet Explorer to access the web! Also notable is the fact that most web developers just check their work in IE totally ignoring other browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Safari. This can also result in less than perfect browsing experience in visiting the affected websites in browsers other than Internet Explorer. These issues cause confusion for general users who take this as a problem in alternate browsers and they switch back to Internet Explorer, nullifying the move completely.
So, what is the solution? Many things can be done. First and the most important is that Microsoft should be more prompt in releasing the updates to their browser and make them available to as many users as possible. Secondly, they should start supporting alternate browsers to access their WindowsUpdate website so that people who do not want to use Internet Explorer can also download the latest patches. Third, Web developers should start complying with web standards and stop using proprietary technologies that are not available to non-IE users. And the most important is awareness. Internet users should keep themselves updated with the latest developments. They should not delay updating the softwares (especially Microsoft Software that form integral part of the Operating System). In addition, they should complain to the developers of the websites that ignores alternate browsers all together.
All said and done, it is still very worthwhile to move on to alternate browsers and keep Internet Explorer as a backup for emergencies. The advantages are many. Both Mozilla Firefox and Opera are frequently updated fixing the bugs and security issues. They are feature packed to make browsing more fun. Both have tab browsing to keep clutter away from your desktop. Both support RSS, which keeps you updated with the latest news and information. Opera comes with an additional mail client, IRC Client and even a newsreader. Mozilla fulfills it with its Mozilla suite.
And of course, you have Internet Explorer lying around for those IE only websites.
Alternate browsers: Opera | Mozilla Firefox
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It’s silly to look to Microsoft to do what they should. It’s more useful to point out that alternate browsers work exceedingly well the vast majority of the time. I bet about 99% of your readers would be better off using an alternative browser for all but the one or two sites they need that haven’t been responsible in their web development.
Very true. but considering IE will remain a part of Windows OS, it becomes important for Microsoft to be a little more responsible. I am pretty happy using Opera myself! :)
I agree with John, the fault here isn’t wholly down to MS, it’s also down to the people who claim to be web developers, but who in fact are not qualified - or perhaps lack the skills - to do so.
Someone who doesn’t check their work in browsers other than IE is in fact increasing the liability of their employer/client to legal action in many countries, due to accessibility law.
This part of the discussion is often grossly over simplified, and masks the problem that the net is still a bit like the wild west frontier in this respect.
Yes, If web developers follow standards, it becomes very easy for the web pages to degrade nicely to even PDA’s and other small screen devices.
Use IE is situations unavoidable e.g. Windows Update. However, sometimes, it is hard to trust its reliability. Say, when was the last time you found that that little spyware or trojan got installed “automatically” without your knowledge?, sadly, it happens quite often.
Solution 1: Keep up with all the IE updates (if MS releases so) if IE is the preferred choice.
2. Use browser like Mozilla Firefox, Opera etc. Believe me, this is a fully functional browser, transation is easy.
I have been using Opera since many years and am more than happy with it. However for online banking operations I am forced to use IE. I also tried to remove IE from my hard disk, it not only could not be removed but created bugs in my operating system and I had to reinstall my Windows software. A truly “Dog in the Manger” policy. Since then I have stopped using Outlook Express and am using Incredimail. I also stopped using MSN Messenger. Switching over to Linux is going to be my next step. Those who use Opera will see my point of view.Monopolies are not appreciated by the truly democratic individual.
Incredimail uses outlook engine afaik. :) I suggest Thunderbird. Or even Opera M2 since you are already using Opera. :)
Can anyone tell me how to send a webpage by mail using Opera browser. In IE I wud just go to FILE and click on SEND, the web page would then come in Outlook, I wud type the email id and send it.
Thanks
[...] #1 choice for most companies out there. Same thing is happening with browsers; Firefox and Internet Explorer engine are being used by other companies/organiz [...]
[...] #1 choice for most companies out there. Same thing is happening with browsers; Firefox and Internet Explorer engine are being used by other companies/organiz [...]
[...] #1 choice for most companies out there. Same thing is happening with browsers; Firefox and Internet Explorer engine are being used by other companies/organiz [...]