Will users switch back to IE?
I've seen this come up in a few places and I'm wondering what you think: When IE7 comes out, will users switch back from Firefox? (I'm assuming FF, since that's what most people would have been told to use. And besides, anyone using Opera would be too hooked by now to consider switching ).
I know some people are really afraid of this happening en masse and I'm just not sure it be that big a problem. Surely some will try it out and keep using it, but others may not be bothered. I know a few people who switched to FF because someone told them to. They're not sure why, they were just told that it's better. If IE 7 pops up on their machine, I'm not sure that they will switch back. After all, nobody has told them that it's better.
I do think that Firefox and the other alternatives need to do a better job marketing to the average user and, in the case of Firefox, to differentiate itself from IE. To me, from the average user's perspective, there is no discernable advantage of Firefox over IE 7. In fact, they might even like the interface better. There needs to be a reason for them to stay (other than inertia).
DaveyBoy posted this at 17:20 — 23rd June 2006.
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Nah i don't think so, I think the main people using IE7 will be users with IE6 at the moment who download it as a windows update or something, and people buying new computers. I think Microsoft have forever lost that 20% share of the market. IE7 will probably be exposed as a massively vulnerable browser before long and it might drive even more people away.
It wouldn't surprise me if Windows Vista made other company's browsers work poorly or not be supported at all, haha.
Shirthead posted this at 17:22 — 23rd June 2006.
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Interesting thread.
Webstats across our work sites (just shy of million uniques / month between them) suggest IE usage is still averaging at around 85%. Obviously a lot less on more technically orientated sites - but that is the average across them. That sounds a lot, but it wasn't all that long ago that it was over 95%!
Whether people will switch back or not, I don't know. People tend to have more brand loyalty towards open source apps as they buy into the concept as well as the product. I think that, if IE7 is good enough, it could slow down the migration considerably though.
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steve40 posted this at 18:55 — 23rd June 2006.
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I never left!.
Shirthead posted this at 18:59 — 23rd June 2006.
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I'm a browser cheat. I use IE at work and FF at home (and both plus a few others when designing!)
solidghost posted this at 22:57 — 23rd June 2006.
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I dont think it will change significantly.
Butt users tend to want to try new products, especially if it is "free". So we could get a slight jump in number of users of IE once IE7 is launched.
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steve40 posted this at 23:23 — 23rd June 2006.
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From what I have read, and understand IE-7 will not be offered as an upgrade. Only with the new longhorn, ar what ever thay decided to call it, windows program.
Megan posted this at 00:08 — 24th June 2006.
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That used to be the plan but I'm pretty sure they're going to be rolling it out with a critical upgrade to XP. THey were also planning on making lonhorn (now vista) subscription based but I don't think they're doing that anymore (?)
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mairving posted this at 03:21 — 24th June 2006.
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Every time Microsoft comes out with a new browser/operating system/product it is touted as being the best most secure around. IE7 is already supposed to address some of the security shortcomings. How? By adding an anti-phishing toolbar. Big whoop. Firefox still is unique enough and secure enough to be a player. Don't be suprised if other browsers hit the market too. I was reading this story today about the fastest growing browser. I think that more and more specialty products like that will be around.
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steve40 posted this at 16:39 — 24th June 2006.
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Oh Great!.
That’s just what I need, another screwed up browser to contend with. Its not enough you have over a dozen different windows resolutions, which it is impossible to design a site to look right on all of them. You have the woods full of block heads trying to play one-ups-man on each other.
There was a time you could make a web page, and not have to worry about anything except IE, and Netscape. Which didn't work right in the first place, so nobody cared about it. All of this stuff is making webpage building more of a drudge, than a pleasure.
I have a slight issue right now with Opera, I have never been able to resolve. Its not a big deal, but Opera sees a drop shadow under my nav buttons that’s not supposed to be there. I could change my nav, and remove the buttons, but for one little browser - “I don't think so”.
I have a block browser script, with which I can block out, and re-direct all browsers except IE and FireFox. Then send them to where ever I want. There is a site on the web called BFE, that probably would be as good a place as any. I am just about ready to us it. Between the two browsers is about 95 % of all my traffic, so it would make very little difference to me.
Working out the little differences between FF, and IE is never a real big deal. Most of the time its just some little margining issue, but with some of the others not so. If I block out the rest I can sleep peacefully again at night, instead of trying to correct browser issues in my dreams.
mairving posted this at 20:57 — 24th June 2006.
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Why would you block someone from your site because of their browser. Wouldn't it be better just to have them have the page display poorly. Maxthon use IE as it's engine so it should render pages like IE and probably is detected as IE. Besides that doesn't work as well any more since some like Opera allow you to masquerade as IE.
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Busy posted this at 23:20 — 24th June 2006.
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From what I understand Vista and Longhorn are different things, both available. Vista is the operating system and longhorn the server. It is going to be a bit tighter already with XP they have used a identifier key in the updates which will block all windows updates if you do not have a legite version forcing people to buy XP, then soon Vista will be released and people again will have to buy that ...
steve40 posted this at 00:12 — 25th June 2006.
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I would block them, just so I don't have to worry about hacking for a bummy browser. Or it just might convince them to get a real browser, if enough people did it. Besides we have enough Chinese junk in the US already, I think they even own the White House. Its rumored that Bill Clinton sold it to them.
You wont disguise a browser by this script. I have Opera on my machine, and have tested it already. Opera went to BFE.
blue27 posted this at 16:51 — 24th June 2006.
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Hopefully IE7 will address the incompatibility issues with CSS3. I've always used IE and never saw any advantage to FF but as far as programming a site goes, IE can be a pain in the butt.
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DaveyBoy posted this at 00:44 — 25th June 2006.
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So unless someone uses IE or FF they can't view your web site? Madness.
steve40 posted this at 01:29 — 25th June 2006.
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No its not actively on my webpage right now. Netscape might make it through, since it is nothing more than FireFox. But I'm not sure about it, since the script detects by file name. But what other browsers count besides MSE, and FireFox. Every thing else only composes around 5% of my traffic.
steve40 posted this at 01:37 — 25th June 2006.
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Oh yes. An added note, Photolinks just booted me off of their list. Why? - because some of the other sites on the server I am on, are porn sites. But I don't have any links to them, or any other connection. I wont even let anyone post fine art photos on my board, because I consider this porn under another name.
So I guess any way you decide to cut it, is fair on the internet.
steve40 posted this at 03:52 — 25th June 2006.
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Then again you just have to overlook my rantings, when I have had a bad hair day. This has been one of them, sort of like a cursed murphy law day. Not if something can go wrong it will, but nothing works right even when you try day.
mairving posted this at 16:57 — 25th June 2006.
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Or if they are Chinese.
Megan posted this at 01:25 — 25th June 2006.
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busy - thanks for the clarification there!
... or you could just switch to Linux
steve - that's pretty dumb IMO. As an Opera user I really hate it when sites do that. The range of browsers available are expanding. Since most are very standards compliant there is very little reason. The "chinese junk" bit is just rude. If you read about that browser you'll see that it's actually using IE's rendering engine. So no point in blocking it. People who use fringe browsers are used to funny things happening once in awhile (and with more widespread adoption of web standards this is becoming increasingly rare). We'd rather see the site funny than not at all. Well, actually, it doesn't matter that much because we can just go someplace else.
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Megan posted this at 01:34 — 25th June 2006.
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So why do you care if the site doesn't look perfect to them? I don't care if my site looks perfect in every browser. It's not like you're doing anything particularly complex anyway. Yahoo has a nice chart of their browser support levels - basically, widely used browsers get full support and testing. Second tier gets less testing but are allowed to use it anyway. Only really obscure/old browsers (like Netscape 4 for example) don't see anything. If you've got a basic HTML site with no complex functionality it's pretty rediculous to try to block browsers. If it's such a small portion of your visitors then why do you care if the site doesn't look right to them. Might as well let them in if they want rather than putting up a big "go away" sign.
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