Internet Explorer 9 Beta HTML 5 Test Drive
Microsoft just released the beta version of Internet Explorer 9. The intention is to keep up with it’s competitors, like Google with Chrome, Mozilla with Firefox and so on. All of them already have support for the HTML 5.
According to Microsoft’s IE page the major parts of the upgrade are still being developed.
You can start testing it by downloading the Internet Platform Preview 5 or the Beta itself, if you are running Windows Vista or Windows 7 only.
So, why use a 9-year-old browser?
The Australian Microsoft’s marketing campaign asks. Microsoft is urging those using Internet Explorer 6 to upgrade.
“You wouldn’t drink nine-year-old milk, so why use a nine-year-old browser?” asks the Web site.
“When Internet Explorer 6 was launched in 2001, it offered cutting–edge security – for the time. Since then, the Internet has evolved and the security features of Internet Explorer 6 have become outdated”, the site said.
IE6 is scorned by technophiles not just because of its security vulnerabilities but also for its nonstandard or nonexistent implementation of various Web standards. Web developers have plenty of pains supporting the diversity of browsers on the Internet, but IE6 is a particular problem given its continuing, though dwindling, widespread use.
So, if you’re still drinking this 9-year-old milk, please stop. Let’s end this nightmare. Upgrade to a newer version of IE, or try something new, better and refreshing like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox (both are safer, faster and customizable).
Which browsers do you use? What do you think about them? Leave a comment!
Chrome gets more users from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer
Microsoft‘s market share in web browsers — which used to be around 90% — has now slipped below 60%, with Net Applications recording 59.95% for April. And with IE losing 0.7 percentage points over the month, Google’s Chrome browser gained almost all of it: 0.6 percentage points. Firefox and Apple‘s Safari made negligible gains, while Opera actually lost market share.
It wouldn’t be sensible to put too much emphasis on Net Applications’ monthly numbers, which are based on logging access to lots of websites. They’re a good guide to the trends, but the details depend on which sites are monitored. However, in general, Chrome has grown rapidly while other independent alternatives have tended to plateau.
Compared with April last year, Chrome has gained 4.94 points of market share, while Firefox has only gained 0.75 points and Opera 0.26 points. Over the same period, IE has dropped 7.82 points, so Chrome has grabbed almost two-thirds of the share IE has lost.
Google has the huge advantage of advertising its browser on the front of its market-dominating search engine. And with HTML5, Internet Explorer tends to lose even more users to other browsers like Chrome itself, Firefox, Opera and Safari.
From Guardian.co.uk
