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Microsoft often make decisions that befuddle enthusiast users and many across the net are wondering if the recent news about IE9 being incompatible with Windows XP is going to cause a massive backlash with the Windows user base.
Research firm NetApplications have reported that in August 61 percent of all computers are running Windows XP. As Windows Vista and Windows 7 are both IE9 compatible, this is a 30 percent audience they are aiming IE9 towards. How is adoption going to be as large as Microsoft want with 7 computers in 10 unable to run the browser in the first place?
Windows XP users will take some comfort in knowing that the latest Firefox still supports XP, even if the company who make the operating system appear to be totally abandoning it. We are all for progress, but surely Microsoft are shooting themselves in the foot by immediately disregarding 61 percent of the marketplace?
The reason to leave XP behind is due to IE9 using the Direct2D API to assist in rendering web content faster. Internet Marketing chief Ryan Gavin told the Register last week that “A modern web needs a modern operating system”.
Windows XP users are a stubborn lot who believe that Microsoft have abandoned their best operating system ever but they aren't giving up. A forum user called Joseph said “I am not moving to Windows Vista or Windows 7 because Windows XP is faster than either of them. I didn't move for Direct X support and I am certainly not moving to get access to IE9 either”. So there you have it, Windows XP is still the king of the operating systems to a large audience.
KitGuru says: Windows XP has a fanatical audience, and many users want a cut down version of IE9 for their systems, even if they lose certain functionality.
Its another brave decision, especially when we are presented with monthly adoption figures and 60 percent of the audience have no choice. it doesnt matter how good the browser is, the figures will always be low. Mozilla must be loving this.
Firefox is light years ahead anyway. IE9 looks to be bloatware.
Microsoft need to sort out their code, remove the code bloat and make it faster that way, not by padding even more layers of code to use graphics cards. its just compensation in the wrong way.
I’m still on Windows ME. Computer works fine, as long I don’t use Internet Explorer.
I was using Netscape for the longest time, but since about 2008 I’ve been using K-Meleon.
I don’t plan on Microsoft any richer, I’m going to use this computer until it falls apart. Then after that happens, I’ll buy a cheap, used computer off craigslist or ebay, and I’ll put linux on it. Why should I have any loyalty to a merciless corporation like Microsoft that purposefully forces people to have to “upgrade” every 5 years. Sounds like they have a nice racket going there.