Explorer 7 (and its successors) should be made available as an Automatic Update that doesn’t require Genuine Advantage.
By
Jonathan Schofield
on November 30, 2007
Flawed though it is, Explorer 7 is a lot better than Explorer 6, but its uptake has stalled due to Microsoft imposing its anti-piracy Windows Genuine Advantage checker as a prerequisite for installation.
This isn't justifiable. After compromising what the web could be for years, the least they can do is just get it out there to as many IE users as possible.
Agreed
11
3
78.6% 21.4%
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Discussion (5)
I wasn't aware that's waht had happened. I really didn't like ie 7 and was glad when I got out of the habit of using it. I fear Vista.
This claim is now partially redundant as I've just dug the following out of the Micosoft IE blog:
“Because Microsoft takes its commitment to help protect the entire Windows ecosystem seriously, we’re updating the IE7 installation experience to make it available as broadly as possible to all Windows users. With today’s “Installation and Availability Update,” Internet Explorer 7 installation will no longer require Windows Genuine Advantage validation and will be available to all Windows XP users. If you are not already running IE7, you can get it now from the Internet Explorer home page on Microsoft.com, get a customized version from a third-party site, or, if you haven’t already received it via Automatic Updates, this version will be delivered to you as we described previously. If you are already running IE7, you will not be offered IE7 again by Automatic Updates.”
The post in question is almost two months old, so we may start to see IE7 uptake grow again.
There is evidence that uptake is already moving on...
TheCounter reports the following for IE7:
20% @ August 2007
22% @ September 2007
25% @ October 2007
32% @ Novermber 2007
i removed ie7 and went back to ie6, then stopped using ie6 for firefox and or flock.
Robert, I'm not arguing in favour of using Explorer. That should indeed remain a personal choice. But people like you who make a conscious choice to use a better browser are in the minority. The web will become a richer experience, however, if a standards compliant browser is pushed out to the majority of users on Windows who have no idea and care not a jot how bad Explorer is in these respects.