TechSpot - PC Technology News and Analysis

Is IE going the way of the dinosaur? Some people think so. Its been years since a full, complete upgrade release was made available. Meanwhile, other browsers like Firefox continue to get better and better. IE is continually in the press for security glitches and other problems. So... is IE dying?

"Redmond rejects that notion, saying instead that the long wait for an IE update is an indication of the work it's putting into the next incarnation of the browser. If Microsoft's plans pan out, it will unveil dramatic new features that will take Web browsing to an entirely new level--in many ways stepping beyond the browser completely."

Its been often noted that, because a lot of html developers seem to be lazy, many web pages are IE friendly only, and give clunky and ugly renderings in Firefox and other browsers. So even if IE is out of date and insecure, do we still need it anyway? And if we need it, is there anything that could be added to it to make it better?

Pssht, yeah right. IE has like 97% over junk like FireFaux. There is not a chance it will go away ever, because it is THE standard browser. When longhorn comes out you will see what happens.

I think the real problem is that Microsoft have pushed IE so much onto the public that web sites all over the place are designed with it exclusively in mind, so that even if you want rid of it, its hard.

For that reason alone, never mind its over 90% market share, IE is with us for a long time to come. Microsoft could not even bother changing it, and that would still be the case.

But it IS time for a new release and Microsoft know this, hopefully. They have certainly eluded to one in longhorn. But Microsoft only have to do this to be nice. They don't have to. They could leave IE untouched for some time to come, and it would still be used by 97% of users.

Very interesting article, something caught my attention though and that was MS saying that the new browser in Longhorn will be so much better and a very big reason to upgrade to Longhorn. So, do they not count on the fact that Opera and Firefox will have that very functionality once Microsofts new browser gets released whenever that now is... I mean, after all the would wide web is built on open standards and will continue to be so.

Maybe they will add something new that they will patent.

Maybe IE will be the first browser to support tabbed browsing....

LOL!

LOL!

The newest version of FireFox (1.0 PR) has improved IE compatibility, it supports IE's strange and unconventional method 'document.all' so now you should be able to see those websites that are "Internet Explorer Only", or at least most of them I guess...

Hopefully yes, lets face it IE is just not up to the job, nor has it ever been. FireFox Is just so Much better, but unfortunately Microsoft has so much of the market share that it can do whatever it likes. Only in America could such a monster be allowed to continue. Too much money too much power. Maybe one day Microsoft will be exposed for what it is. Whatever Happened to competition? How was this situation ever allowed to take place? I hate Microsoft with a vengence because I like most people just don`t have a choice. Sorry for venting my spleen but it`s just something that drives me wild. Regards Howard

ummm safari (for Mac OSX http://www.techspot.com/vb/images/icons/icon10.gif) has had tabbed browsing for a while... duh..

Yes, I'm being sarcastic.

IE works well, and is only let down by lack of convenience features to make surfing the web a nicer experience. For most users, it does everything they need. I personally don't use IE because I prefer Opera, however IE is a very powerful browser, but that is because it is embeded into the OS and can handle more than simply viewing web pages. For use as a web browser, it's features do now look rather dated, and I hope the next version is as good as microsoft say it will be. I have no reason to doubt it as microsoft know that they need some real enticements to get users to upgrade to Longhorn. Users want visible improvements, not just under-the-covers enhancements.