IE ad: The browser you loved to hate
browseryoulovedtohate.com
browseryoulovedtohate.com
Microsoft has always failed on this single issue when it comes to marketing: they are simply too heavy handed and unwilling to let products speak for themselves.
A lot of their products also suffer from simply not being compelling enough, but even when the product is compelling they go overboard on the "forced fun soundtrack" and stock-people.
Stepford advertising at its worst.
Never mind I'll quickly give IE a go. Oops, doesn't work on Linux. Never mind, I'll try it on the Mac. Oops. How about the most profitable mobile platform? No luck. The most populous? Forget it. Out of all my numerous devices (~8) and computers (5) the only one that can run IE requires using a virtual machine!
Sure, there may have been aspects that wouldn't run on XP (new text rendering that Vista+ brings, for example) but both Firefox and Webkit/Chrome/Safari are both gracefully handling the disparate technologies just fine.
It reached EOL almost 3 years ago now! It's just insane to me that people still use it.
It's also only at ~21% install base, so it's not the biggest loss ever to not support it. Just entices people to upgrade to Windows 7/8, and actually be secure.
Anyone defending XP now should stop. It's a horrible idea to actually use the OS in the present day, especially with the much better alternatives out there right now.
You do realise that is around 250 million machines, which is the same size as the entire iOS installed base a year ago? There is still 15 months of support left.
Perhaps the most important thing about a browser is the other stuff it drags with it - for example you are likely to use the identity services (eg using Chrome makes having a Google account more conducive) plus other things (storage, photos, email etc). It is in Microsoft's interest to bring people into that.
> Just entices people to upgrade to Windows 7/8, and actually be secure.
You can't practically upgrade from XP. Well maybe you can, but the general public can't. It is a fresh install which means losing all your apps, settings, and personalization and worrying about what data you will lose (who has perfect backups?) And then you have to learn a new user interface. This still applies if you buy a new device. (Yes Windows Easy Transfer exists, but still has issues.)
If you are going to experience such a shakeup you may as well consider all the alternatives. My dad (as a data point, I mean anecdote) upgraded from XP to an iPad. That is even more secure!
But the only feeling I had was "there's a reason all these things are no longer around." Either I'm not the target audience, or the nostalgic items they chose were ... wrong.
I'll just install Chrome or Firefox. Microsoft is paying for their slowness and attempts at being anti-competitive.
How did you get that you need a tablet to use IE10? It's available in all Windows 8 installations, and there's a Tech Preview out for Windows 7 too.