Internet Explorer not so much good news ?

Apparently Dave Massy changed my mood about IE. Now after one step forward, ten other backward.

"...There are currently no plans to release a new version of Internet Explorer prior to Longhorn when it will be delivered as part of the new OS. As the team completes Windows XP SP2 we are starting to think about what we will deliver as a great browser in Longhorn which is why the feedback now is so useful...."

So all the great feedback they got on Channel 9 is just for nothing. All the 'we are listening' what you want is not to be transformed as 'we are doing' at least not until 3 or 4 years :-(

 

 

6 Comments


  • You can still use Firefox which will have 3-4 years headstart in terms of user feedback on the next version of IE :)

  • Longhorn is scheduled for two years from now.



    It takes 18 months from the time we get a request to the time we can ship something new. Unfortunately I don't see that time getting shorter.

  • Robert the problem here is that in 18 months it will be too late ! The gap is there now and if you look at the huge quantity of comments on Channel 9 and Dave's blog, a decision has to be made: keeping IE or throw it.


  • Robert, yes it's **scheduled** for two years time. There has to be a limit to how much can be removed to make that time frame, or am I wrong?

  • And of course there's still the problem that to get an updated IE you will have to upgrade your OS. Not many people will do that. If they're gonna upgrade it's not going to be to get new version of IE. So even when Longhorn comes out most users will still be using IE 6.

  • Microsoft is inadvertantly re-starting the browser wars. By letting the competition get so far ahead people will have no choice but to switch to a new browser (probably some flavor of Mozilla). If (well, when really) enought people switch browsers, you'll see microsoft spring into action and really focus on updating IE.



    If I was installing a new system for someone non-technical I'd probably install and reccomend they use firefox. 6 months ago, probably not. As it is now FireFox, Safari, etc are just now coming into their own as stable browsers and bringing new and compelling features to the table, so the average user is just starting to see that there is a better browser out there.



    In a few months to a year you'll probably see non-ie browsers in large enough numbers to be taken seriously again. If that gap widens enough (word of mouth, press, etc) IE might be put 5 years behind and may be considered the next netscape browser.The web is evolving right now, IE is not.

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