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Some Thoughts on Internet Explorer 9
by Tom Cunningham in Development on Jan 25, 2010
A couple of months ago, Microsoft gave developers an early look at the next major release of their web browser, Internet Explorer 9. It’s still pretty early in the development stage, so details are somewhat scarce at this point. However, with the few details we are given, things seem to be gradually getting better with an upgrade in performance and increased support for web standards. Additionally, it appears IE 9 will include some support for CSS 3, but there is no mention of support for HTML 5.
It will be interesting to see how well IE 9 will support emerging web technologies, such as CSS 3 and HTML 5. Historically, IE is notorious for lacking proper support for web standards and is slow at adopting progressive web technologies. I would even dare to say that Microsoft is hesitant to keep their web browser on the cutting edge. Full support for these technologies is probably wishful thinking, so let’s hope that with IE 9, Microsoft makes a conscious effort to include some support.
It’s no secret that there some web browsers available that are already capable of what IE 9 is striving for. While other browsers are innovating and keeping current with technologies, IE is constantly lagging behind and playing catch-up. It’s likely that by the time IE 9 is released, we will have much better versions of Safari, Firefox, and Google Chrome. And with reports of Google Chrome slowly stealing market share from IE, Safari and Firefox, Microsoft needs to work even harder to create a stable, compliant web browser if they wish to remain relevant.
Internet Explorer 9 will be Microsoft’s next release in its series of web browsers. At this point, little information is given about what’s in store, so it’s difficult to speculate too much. However, I think it’s safe to say that Microsoft needs to step it up and release a browser that is completely compatible with CSS 3 and HTML 5.
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It’s very disappointing to see how far behind Microsoft continues to lag. With the web becoming more important every day for millions of people, there’s no excuse for their lack of support for web standards, especially emerging ones.
Hopefully someone at Microsoft steps up and takes charge with IE 9. Unfortunately, with history as the best indicator, the outlook is grim.
Amen. The real disappointment is why IE still accounts for such a large majority of web traffic on the average website. I wish people could understand there are much better ways to surf the web.
Another disappointment is why Safari is the only web browser I’ve found with such beautiful rendering of type (anti-aliasing) and so many other browsers render type so old school. Just sayin.
@Nick: I totally agree with you. The web is very important to many people and standards are significant in ensuring a good experience. I really wish Microsoft understood this.
@Joel: It is frustrating that IE still dominates the market. There are a number of reasons for this, but I think it’s largely attributed to the vast number of users who aren’t educated enough or who simply don’t care about the “best experience.“ And Safari is great! It’s my browser of choice.