Microsoft launches IE6 countdown website

Microsoft has been struggling with its poor browser image ever since it stopped updating Internet Explorer for a few years. As a result, IE6 is by far the most hated browser in the world. Today, the software giant is taking a stand by launching "The Internet Explorer 6 Countdown" at theie6countdown.com.

Last month, IE6 had 12 percent of the worldwide browser market share pie, according to Net Applications. Microsoft wants to have that number reduced to less than 1 percent. The countdown website includes details of IE6 share by country, updated on a monthly basis; the software giant says it will celebrate as countries dip under the 1 percent mark. It also hosts resources for IT pros who have the power to upgrade their company away from IE6. There's even an option to encourage IE6 users to upgrade by displaying a countdown banner to them on your website.

"We're inviting everyone to share this site with friends, acquaintances, clients, and IT admins to see for themselves why even Microsoft thinks the world would be better off without IE6," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement. "Please join us in tracking the progress as we count down the market share of IE6. We've said it before and we'll say it again, IE6 was a great browser for its time, but we all need the web to move forward. Visit ie6countdown.com today, and help us say farewell to IE6!"

Internet Explorer 6 was released on August 27, 2001, shortly after the completion of Windows XP. On April 14, 2009, Microsoft retired Mainstream Support for XP, and with it, support for IE6. That said, Microsoft is not planning to retire Extended Support for the operating system until April 8, 2014. If the company ends up releasing XP SP4, it will retire support for SP3 (released in April 2008) two years later, or in April 2014, whichever comes first. In short, IE6 will continue to be officially supported by Microsoft for at least three more years. Despite the support options, Redmond still wants it to die.