Say goodbye to Internet Explorer

[Christiern]

Looks like another case of Microsoft having created a hole for hackers.

Here's the BBC story on this.

[Big Wheel]

Looks like another case of Microsoft having created a hole for hackers.

Here's the BBC story on this.

The support is only ending for version 6 and MS is already up to version 8. IE 6 is over 8 years old at this point.

[Christiern]

IE is a free browser, so why would anyone keep using it 8 years after it has been upgraded? That does not make sense to me. I don't recall the version I last had installed (in my Mac), but I have always found IE to be problematic, so I simply git rid of it a couple of years ago. I am forced to use Windows xp on my Mac for an ongoing job I'm doing, and it is so-o-o-o clunky. I also don't like the fact that it will occasionally upgrade itself without asking if I want it to. Apple always gives the user an option.

[Victor Christensen]

I have IE8 but only use it when I have to, Firefox is my main browser, I don't trust IE.

Vic

[Guest Bill Barton]

Regardless of the version it is a very dangerous piece of crap. I haven't used it for a very time now. Using anything produced by Microsoft, including Windows Media Player, is asking for trouble, IMHO.

[Ken Dryden]

Agreed. I quit using Internet Explorer years ago. Good riddance.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Using anything produced by Microsoft, including Windows Media Player, is asking for trouble.

In what sense?

[RDK]

Mostly paranoia. The reason any MS product is more prone to attacks is simply because MS is hated by those who create bugs/exploits and because it's the most popular browser (especially by those less PC-savvy types, and therefore the ones most vulnerable). IE8 is actually pretty damn good and secure, but I've long since moved on to Chrome, which I greatly prefer. As for MS installing updates "on its own," that's an easy fix as there's a setting to prevent exactly that. Anyone still using IE 6 is an idiot.

[GregK]

What a misleading thread title. The support is only ending for IE6!

[Christiern]

Mostly paranoia. The reason any MS product is more prone to attacks is simply because MS is hated by those who create bugs/exploits and because it's the most popular browser (especially by those less PC-savvy types, and therefore the ones most vulnerable). IE8 is actually pretty damn good and secure, but I've long since moved on to Chrome, which I greatly prefer. As for MS installing updates "on its own," that's an easy fix as there's a setting to prevent exactly that. Anyone still using IE 6 is an idiot.

Most "popular" or most used? How many users do you think actually opted for IE? How many would have used something else if it had been available to them when they bought their PC?

[Swinging Swede]

There are actually quite a few organizations that have internal solutions developed for IE6, and since IE6 deviated a lot from standards, they can't upgrade to later more standard-compliant IE versions, since the solutions would stop working correctly then. So the organizations have policies that employees must continue to use IE6 and aren't allowed to use different browsers or versions.

Since Windows XP came with IE6 and many still have that OS, it also means that a lot of less computer-savvy users still have IE6.

As for myself, I can't upgrade to a later IE version than 6, since I have another program that will stop working then (yes, it's old software but one I'm using). I can however use Firefox instead, and do!