Old browsers: Taking a stand.

Yes IE6, this means you!

Browsers are becoming more and more important to our on-line world. (So much so that Google have recently launched a browser based Operating system.) There was a time however when nearly all of us used internet Explorer to browse the web.

Yes, back in July 2003 IE6 held more than 98% of the browser market. That comforting blue 'e' would take us where we wanted to go. So much so that it formed a backbone of Microsoft advertising for the browser and even its wider products. Businesses loved IE6 and took to it in droves...and amazingly some still use it. Despite the hate campaigns of http://www.bringdownie6.com/ and http://www.ie6nomore.com/; and even the more subtle, humourous approach of http://www.saveie6.com people did stick with it. Heck even Microsoft admitted it had more security holes than a colander and had grown since its launch in 2001 to be 'more patch than browser'.



With the growing maturity of new standards like CSS3 and HTML5 today's browsers are so much more advanced. Its difficult to say exactly how much more, but just compare it with any other leading edge technology of 2001 like mobile phones for instance.

Back in 2001 I was rocking a Nokia 6210 with Infra Red and Triband radios. (I wasn't ready for the frankly outlandish Nokia 7110 'Matrix' phone). 10 years later I am pretty deeply embedded in the Android phone operating system (Other phone OS's are available) and run a nexus handset. The power and functionality difference is amazing, but still about what you would expect for 10 years development.

It's a tired old comparison perhaps, but even the humble and worthy Nokia 6210 was a giant in its time and had processing power a whole magnitude greater than the Raytheon computers that ran the Apollo space missions. And our response is ...meh!

Browsers are just the same. As they've progressed and advanced IE6 has lost its followers as they've upgraded to newer versions or altogether new browsers like Firefox and Chrome. Favouritism has appeared and, amongst the rank and file, browser allegiance is a real thing. Chrome and Firefox users hate IE. Whilst IE users hate the newcomers (they all hate Opera).

Browser advances have led to face off's with benchmark test scores being bandied around like insults at a WWF match. The things possible with the latest browsers would shock and amaze most people just a couple of years back, oh yes, we've come a long way.

And yet some are left behind, stuck with the equivalent of a Nokia 6210 browser in a world full of Smartphones. Hanging onto an outdated tool because they fear change or resist the required efforts to make in house or legacy software compatible with the newer browser.

With cloud computing maturing all the time, one of the key players,  Google, has recently announced that as of August their Google Apps products will only support the current and previous versions of any leading browser. Whilst this isn't about getting people to move on up and enter the modern world it will certainly help. The underlying reason being developing and supporting old outmoded browsers isn't cost effective, especially when its often a competitors browser that is throwing a spanner into the works. No, this is a very good thing. Disagree? try living with a Nokia 6210 for a week in 2011.