Skip IE8, You Aren’t Missing Anything
Most web developers have deep hatred for Microsoft’s beloved Internet Explorer (IE), and for good reason. IE is doggishly slow, unsecure, and just plain lacking in terms of extensions and apps. It also requires extra time in testing and development time to ensure sites render properly in the fickle browser.
But it’s not just web development companies that are opting out of IE. Research show that consumers are also turning to more reliable browser alternatives.
According to Mashable’s post about the death of IE, “In 2004, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) had over 90 percent of the browser market. Today, they’re closer to 66 percent, while competitor Firefox has broken 1/5 market share. This information was brought to our attention by a graph and blog post written by Mozilla’s Asa Dotzler (see below).”
As far as the recently released IE8 goes you may be asking, “Well isn’t it an improvement from IE7?”. Yes, but it would be similar to upgrading from McDonalds to Burger King. It’s an improvement but it still sucks and is bad for you.
Plus if IE is so fantastically amazing as Microsoft claims, why are there three, yes three, versions all operating at the same time?
They are plenty of alternatives out there that are free to download and will give you less headache. I’ve found that Firefox seems to be the best option. Google’s Chrome browser is also a good alternative, although somewhat unstable with some applications, as it is just in it’s infancy. Our friends at Noobie.com also recommend Firefox to their clients.
“Firefox has steadily gained ground on IE as a popular web browser because it continues to bring innovation to the browsing experience. Firefox was the first browser to introduce tabs that allow you to keep several web pages open within one browser window and easily toggle between them. IE and others have since adopted this same design, making it a must-have for most users.
Additionally, Firefox is known for its quick loading of sites, simple user interface, smart pop-up blocking, fast keyboard shortcuts and better bookmarks. Most notably, however, are the easy-to-download add-ons or plug-ins that will truly customize the browser for your needs.
There are Firefox add-ons for everything from changing the browser’s appearance for purely aesthetic reasons to simplifying complex web development tasks. After you’ve installed the most recent version of Firefox, you can download free add-ons at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/.”
It’s like the old saying goes, once you go non-IE, you’ll never go back.
