Microsoft ban third-party browsers on Windows 8 ARM

[xxMATTGxx]

**** that, hopefully I can get a Windows 7 laptop by the time I have the money for it. IE is utter balls.

The laptop wouldn't have this restriction because that would be running the x86 version of Windows 8 or whatever you call it. Which will allow you to use any browser you want, this thread is about the tablets that run of ARM with the OS installed.

[HotelUser]

It's a good thing Internet Explorer is utterly horrendous (yes that includes IE 9), has a track record of being updated slower then other browsers (still IE 9), and have I mentioned that it's utterly horrendous? Lets pretend for a moment that Internet Explorer was actually better then Chrome (hah) and could best webkit and v8, then I bet a lot of people would be angry at Apple for limiting development of IE on iOS, and they would be right to be angry if that were the case.

It's stupid how much Apple restricts developers and it's stupid how much Microsoft is allegedly going to limit the playing field on Windows 8. It's going to be even bigger of a shame if in five years the progression of Internet Explorer is still terrible.

[jasey]

I'm glad Microsoft is taking some action in some areas compared to the total apathy they seemed to pour in to their product line for quite a while whether people are favourable of the actions or not. At the very least, they are making big decisions. I am quite an Apple guy (the unholy trinity — iPhone, iPad, Macbook) and I have no problems being restricted to the whole Safari thing in some areas.

Needless to say, I am not like everyone else. I know people crave features that some browsers offer that others don't care about. For example, when Firefox was rising and gaining people were big on the add-ons that you could put with it. Other browsers had the same idea but no one's add-on catalogue was as extensive as that for Firefox. When you see that people are making comparisons and judgements that in a few cases put IE9 (Internet Explorer, the browser that has been beaten on for ages) as a better browser in some senses than the latest Firefox, you know there are some changes.

Basically, I think it's important to recognise that there are good and bad reasons for what Microsoft is allegedly doing and if the cult surrounding iOS is any indicator most average people who don't read too much in to tech won't mind. I guess the only way to find out how this will play out is to watch the future. Here's to an interesting new development!

[Recursion]

It's a good thing Internet Explorer is utterly horrendous (yes that includes IE 9), has a track record of being updated slower then other browsers (still IE 9), and have I mentioned that it's utterly horrendous? Lets pretend for a moment that Internet Explorer was actually better then Chrome (hah) and could best webkit and v8, then I bet a lot of people would be angry at Apple for limiting development of IE on iOS, and they would be right to be angry if that were the case.

It's stupid how much Apple restricts developers and it's stupid how much Microsoft is allegedly going to limit the playing field on Windows 8. It's going to be even bigger of a shame if in five years the progression of Internet Explorer is still terrible.

Do you even use Windows an ymore? Internet Explorer 9 is actually very good and yes, it might not be updated as often (hahahaha look at Firefox, how many versions in the past few months?) but it's hugely improved over IE6/7 and was fully standards compliant when it was pushed out as an update.

[HotelUser]

Do you even use Windows an ymore? Internet Explorer 9 is actually very good and yes, it might not be updated as often (hahahaha look at Firefox, how many versions in the past few months?) but it's hugely improved over IE6/7 and was fully standards compliant when it was pushed out as an update.

Huge improvement over IE8 for sure, but it's presently benchmarking beneath Chrome, and doesn't support very very basic things like Web Workers and WebGL. Firefox and Chrome also have better updating schemes. Chrome seamlessly updates, Firefox has plans to seamlessly update (if they're not already) and so because Internet Explorer does not adhere to this, users often never bother updating at all which in coherence for their slow gain of support for common features is essentially punching developers in the face and holding back the industry.

[Recursion]

Huge improvement over IE8 for sure, but it's presently benchmarking beneath Chrome, and doesn't support very very basic things like Web Workers and WebGL. Firefox and Chrome also have better updating schemes. Chrome seamlessly updates, Firefox has plans to seamlessly update (if they're not already) and so because Internet Explorer does not adhere to this, users often never bother updating at all which in coherence for their slow gain of support for common features is essentially punching developers in the face and holding back the industry.

I don't see your hatred towards IE9? I don't give a damn if you have to put a little more effort to make sites work with it (which hopefully won't be a problem for much longer, with the time between releases getting shorter and shorter) so long as it works properly for me as an end user. Updates are also transparent to the user seeing as they're delivered through Windows Update.

The fact IE9 doesn't update often is also an extremely useful thing in corporate or domain-based environments, where updates have to be tested before being pushed out and where highly expensive company applications rely on certain versions of the software.

[HotelUser]

I don't see your hatred towards IE9? I don't give a damn if you have to put a little more effort to make sites work with it (which hopefully won't be a problem for much longer, with the time between releases getting shorter and shorter) so long as it works properly for me as an end user. Updates are also transparent to the user seeing as they're delivered through Windows Update.

The problem doesn't mean developers need to spend more time making it work for IE, it means developers cannot make their applications work on IE at all because WebGL and WebWorkers just don't exist for IE. Haven't you ever wondered why Angry Birds doesn't like IE?

The fact IE9 doesn't update often is also an extremely useful thing in corporate or domain-based environments, where updates have to be tested before being pushed out and where highly expensive company applications rely on certain versions of the software.

Then slap in a registry boolean titled "autoupdate" and corporations can stick a big old zero in it.

[Recursion]

The problem doesn't mean developers need to spend more time making it work for IE, it means developers cannot make their applications work on IE at all because WebGL and WebWorkers just don't exist for IE. Haven't you ever wondered why Angry Birds doesn't like IE?




Then slap in a registry boolean titled "autoupdate" and corporations can stick a big old zero in it.

http://chrome.angrybirds.com/ boom, works fine in IE9.

[HotelUser]

http://chrome.angrybirds.com/ boom, works fine in IE9.

It's using a web canvas which is much slower, they don't support the much faster WebGL which can be observed here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebGL

By the way when I say much slower I mean much slower, see http://jsperf.com/canvas-drawimage-v...l-drawarrays/6 (higher is better)

[xxMATTGxx]

Your dreams will come true HotelUser.