June 2, 2005 9:33 AM PDT
Windows 2000 users to miss out on IE 7
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In a blog posting at the end of last week, a Microsoft employee confirmed that the company would not be releasing IE 7 for Windows 2000, as this would involve a lot of work for an operating system that is in the later stages of its lifecycle.
"It should be no surprise that we do not plan on releasing IE 7 for Windows 2000. One reason is where we are in the Windows 2000 lifecycle. Another is that some of the security work in IE 7 relies on operating system functionality in XP SP2 that is non-trivial to port back to Windows 2000," according to the blog posting.
Although Windows 2000 will be supported until 2010, at the end of June of this year Microsoft will no longer accept requests for design changes or new features for the operating system.
A number of Microsoft blog readers were unhappy to learn that IE 7 would be unavailable on Windows 2000.
One reader, known as Garry, said it was contradictory for Microsoft to offer support for Windows 2000 until 2010, but not to offer its users an up-to-date browser.
"An important point, as I see it, is that Microsoft is committed to provided extended support to Windows 2000 through 2010. I consider that (an) acknowledgement by Microsoft that businesses and consumers will be using Windows 2000 until at least that time, however, come 2010 they will still be using IE 6 SP1 which will surely be obsolete by that time," said Garry.
Microsoft was also criticized for building a Web browser that cannot run independently of the operating system.
"What kind of silliness is this--to build an insecure Web browser that is so tightly screwed into the nitty gritties of an operating system that it can neither benefit from the updates made to itself on another flavor of the same operating system, nor can it be taken out of the operating system," said one posting.
IE 7, which will be available in beta this summer, will offer improved security features and basic tabbed browsing. It is also expected to offer improved standards support, including enhanced support for CSS 2 and PNG transparencies.
Ingrid Marson of ZDNet UK reported from London.
See more CNET content tagged:
Microsoft Windows 2000,
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7,
Microsoft Internet Explorer,
blog posting,
operating system
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Now I pity the company that tied their intranet to some ActiveX applet, but even then they can just default to IE for those sites that require it.
So thanks Microsoft, I don't need IE 7. I also find it amusing that people are worried that IE 6 SP1 will be obsolete when IE 7 comes out. Isn't it obsolete right now?
Microsoft could cure world hunger and they'd still 'draw criticism'.
Here's a thought for Win2k users who want recent software...upgrade your OS to XP. Tada! Problem solved.
No matter, even though I use 2000, I've been surfing with Firefox for months now and I'm not going back anytime soon.
You listening Microsoft?
Idiots!!!
I think MS understimates how quickly users move to newer operating systems. At my company we still predominately use Win2000 on the desktop and for all of our servers.
Also, the fact that IE 7 is only available in XP and beyond is NOT a reason to upgrade.
Why IE 7 is so important is that it looks like it will finally be nearly standards compliant. Meaning when someone designs a site that uses W3C standards they also won't have to design a broken one for IE. Also, finally getting full support for PNG means that web site designers will be able to finally use PNG graphics on their sites without having to worry about compatibility.
As for Windows 2000 users. Well things advance, you either advance with them or you get left behind. For those Windows 2000 user's that don't want XP well that is thier problem. Lucky for them they do have the option of using Firefox and Opera.
Robert
stand-alone application. IE 6 was written that way for the Mac, and
except for the MS mindset at the time, IE Whatever could has been,
and should have been a stand-alone application for the PC. As
things stand, IE on the PC is now the ONLY browser which is not a
stand-alone application.
But, maybe if MS did it right for a chnage, they just might prove
that bundling is far from a brilliant idea.
Right now you can't validate your copy of window 2000...
Why isn't IE7 going to be available on Win2K? Probably because Microsoft doesn't want to continue supporting it when (more like if) longhorn comes out in 2006. How many companies still activily support 2 or three generations old software or OS's?
I'm sure that Microsoft wants you to upgrade to the latest version. I'm sure they could have made IE7 work on Win2K. I'm sure they could do a lot of things they aren't going to, but that's business as usuall for them and many other companies.
Companies that support software for twenty years after the next version comes out are usually out of business. It has been almost five years since WinXP came out and for windows it works just fine. At some point Win2K is going to be in the same boat as Win98. Unsupported software.
Just try some high definition and high graphic site and some of the xml site/ it only opens in IE, i bet on it?? Wanna try just see for yourself.
Gautam.
Just try some high definition and high graphic site and some of the xml site/ it only opens in IE, i bet on it?? Wanna try just see for yourself.
Gautam.
At least I'll put Mac a touch above windows since the core change it is a better system but the homo sissy hardware pulleeezzz you know someone is a little light in the loafers they are probably Democraps and windoze is run by Republicants
Am I the only one who has noticed this?
- Alternatives: Marketshare & Browser Competition
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by adriaticnyc
June 6, 2005 12:05 AM PDT
- Well, the Mythology of the internet browser has been recently shattered: there are several viable internet browsers available for the Win XP Pro, XP Home, 2000 Pro & server 2003. Users can use one, or they can use all of them! Firefox, in particular, has a nice support niche on the www.mozilla.org webpage.
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Reply to this comment
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See all 73 Comments >>These alternative browser products are very good, well developed and tested because they are coming from development organizations committed to customer well being. They obviously went through a System Development Life Cycle with a crew of developers, designers and testers who tackled the Firefox and Opera products with "an eye" on pertinent security risks and issues facing the internet online electronic maze.
Netscape, Firefox Mozilla and Opera each provide the user with a stronger set of controls and ability to configure browser activity within Windows and also have the benefit of being cross-platform as Firefox Mozilla and Opera can be used within a Linux KDE Desktop configuration.
Opera provides its users with several excellent productivity features and can facilitate HTML published webpages.
Opera provides an email application which provides a better security features for managing attachments and cntent.
At least we have some choices.
Mary B. Winfield
Platinum Precision Software Inc.
New York, NY
adriaticnyc@yahoo.com