Google dropping IE6 support in 2010

Correct me if I am wrong but it looks as if Windows no longer uses IE for Windows Update. Any browser will work for updating just about anything else. As far as Windows Update for older OS that would be upto MS supporting IE6. The entire web shouldn't be forced into IE6 support simply because of cheap or lazy companies not wanting to upgrade to the latest and greatest.

Personally I think that this continued support for older OS's is a big issue when it comes to companies not updating to the latest and greatest. As fast as the computing industry is changing, continued support for anything over 8 years would be in a sense holding the computing industries progression back.

Windows 2K & XP are great OS's but now it time to focus on Windows 7 and future tech. Its time we dropped support and move on. This will be the only way to push some of the companies forward. Sure it will piss people off. People get pissed off every time they find their product is no longer supported. It will happen sooner or later. Might as well be sooner.

I am thoroughly impressed with Chrome. The browser that is. The OS...not so much.

So does Firefox, only it's sleeker, faster and lighter now. It's not like a year ago it was a known RAM hog, Firefox has come a long way. There's also IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari, they all have ads all over the place. So what does that prove? With Microsoft standing behind IE, they have more advertising dollars to spend than anyone. Does that mean IE is the best? No. It just means they have more money. It's true that Google is dropping support for IE6 this year, or that's what they're saying. Most everyone is wanting IE6 support to end, including Microsoft. They're the ones keeping it patched, not Google. Google is dropping IE6 simply because Microsoft is, and they are taking advantage of it for media attention, and the truth is, they're getting it. Not having the money to take on Microsoft, they jump on Microsoft's bandwagon to take on the rest of the competition. I've never said that Google doesn't have smart people on board. They're playing it smart by following Microsoft's lead and getting free media attention. But it's going to take a helluva lot more than dropping IE6 to put Google where they want to be. This is all turning back to their desire to produce an OS. Their main competition: Linux. They will both be fighting over that less than 1% of the market share. They won't take away from Microsoft or Apple. But if they were to play their cards right, they can finish Linux off. That's the best they can hope to do.

I just didn't know, I've never used such a outdated OS... Ever.

Thanks, Core for the info.

As Windows 7 users, if it's not IE, where are our updates coming from? And I haven't endorsed IE6 at all, nor any other IE browser. IE7 was the best (and still most popular) of the IE browsers. I use Firefox 3.6, it has an IE tab for sites that require IE. But I do agree with you on continued support for aging OS's, they are simply wasting funds that could be applied to future OS and (hopefully) browser development. Sure, there will be those who get pissed off. What do we tell them? The truth. Better to be pissed off than to be pissed on.

IE can be uninstalled in its entirety from Windows 7 and it doesn't affect Windows Update, because it doesn't use IE anymore. It has its own Control Panel application now.

Yeah, same! It's so helpful! Yay for browser add ons! Yay for Chrome browser add ons!

YES!!!! I SO want to see that happen. I know so many people that use Windows XP still. It's great, though. You know, the sad part is none of them would probably know that support was dropped until someone told them that there weren't going to be any more updates. Then they'd probably get scared, upgrade to Vista, hate it, and switch to Mac, then go around ranting about how Windows sucks.

Most likely, by the time that XP support ends, most of the computers running it will have hit the trash can. Should computer prices keep falling, most will buy new, and stick with Windows. I don't think you'll hear too much ranting about it.

Yeah, that's probably true. Although, one of my friends seems to think that Macs are "best best gaming computers- right up there with Alienware!". I'm sorry but if Alienware is putting two gigs of RAM and a 9400GT in their computers... They fail. "Gaming"? Quite obviously Alienware has better specs. People are just so ignorant.