Comments on: Why would anyone use Internet Explorer?

By: Will

Will — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:31:13 +0000

Because some people are dickheads.

By: Robert Nyman

Robert Nyman — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:07:21 +0000

Friends dont let friends use IE,

Agreed.

Joe McDonald,

I’m afraid of that code as well.

By: The mystery of Internet Explorer popularity, or why everyone should help a designer and download Firefox today « Mix Creative

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:06:27 +0000

[...] you’ll get search results, including Robert Nyman’s summary and musings, titled “Why would anyone use Internet Explorer“. Yet the predominant answer is quite [...]

By: Joe McDonald

Joe McDonald — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:20:13 +0000

I had a friend that insisted on using IE, no matter what. I asked him how many viruses his computer has ever had and his response was “Less than you’ve ever had running Firefox!”.

I asked him how you can have less than zero viruses and he shut up. NoScript + AdBlock ftw.

What makes this story even funnier is that he was a computer programmer. I’m afraid to see the code he’s putting out.

By: Friends dont let friends use IE

Friends dont let friends use IE — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:20:35 +0000

I just feel anybody who uses IE is typically computer illiterate and definitely not tech savvy. The only people I ever meet who don’t want to switch from IE or actually protect it are much older people who don’t know anything about computers/internet/etc. other than what they do with one at work and mostly teenage boys and girls who THINK they know what’s going on. Even if for some odd, strange, unknown reason you felt IE was a more… powerful browser, It’s just plain ugly.

By: Robert Nyman

Robert Nyman — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:23:28 +0000

Gandalf,

Glad that you like it!

By: Gandalf

Gandalf — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:47:24 +0000

I personally use Opera (latest beta with latest snapshot) and I’m loving it completely. Can’t wait to see the full power of Opera Unite..

By: Robert Nyman

Robert Nyman — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:50:16 +0000

Thanks for your comments, people!
Keep educating people about the options!

By: Johnny Smith

Johnny Smith — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:44:47 +0000

Here’s my take.

A huge amount of people on the PC still use IE, in fact a HUGE portion of whom you are designing websites for/or to be viewed by in the first place!!
Think of it as the same reason middle america watches Fox News…cuz it gets piped into every trailer for free, won’t pay for cable. Likewise, PC’s come with IE, so most consumers use it because it is there (totally oblivious to better, faster solutions).

May 2009 Browser Stats:

47.7% Firefox
41% Explorer (6, 7 and
5.5% Chrome
3.0% Safari
2.2% Opera

I’m actually suprised about the number of people that took fate into their own hands and went to the “Internets” to get Firefox. That’s pretty impressive.

May 2009 OS Stats:

89.5% Windows (67.2% XP, 18.4% Vista, 1.7% W2003, 1.1% Win7, 1.1% 2000)
6.1% MAC OSX
4.1% Linux

These OS Stats are what we really have to worry about. Let’s just keep buying iPhones and showing our aging parents how much easier and intuitive operating a MAC is shall we?

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:46:59 +0000

What can you make with ActiveX that you can’t make just as easily in a Java Applet? Aside from the fact that Applets must be written in Java whereas ActiveX controls can be written in multiple languages, they are virtually indistinguishable to the end user. Besides, what kind of functionality could you possible want a website to have that you could not write in Java? Except in extremely rare cases, Java will be able to meet all your needs. In addition, Applets work in every browser, whereas ActiveX only works in IE.

Someone said something about how you need to be a computer guru to use firefox, then made an analogy to manual transmission. You don’t need to be a pro driver to drive manual transmission. I was driving manual when I was 16, and this isn’t me bragging, it’s not an accomplishment, driving manual is easy.

Now, this is a terrible analogy regardless, because firefox doesn’t require you to do any extra work as opposed to IE. All the extra stuff you can do to firefox is OPTIONAL, the basic functionality of firefox that you get strait out of the box is more than you get from IE.

By: Ryuuzaki di Cathule

Ryuuzaki di Cathule — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:51:30 +0000

forgot to add the sessions and if closed by mistake a tab, simply use ctrl+z to reopen it.

I recommend Opera or Firefox, both relible enough to keep the surfin safe of the sharks…

Hail big O!

Mabudife~

By: Ryuuzaki di Xathule

Ryuuzaki di Xathule — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:49:17 +0000

As I have read this post, I can only be glad am using Opera 9x, since it is reliable most of time. Except on those sites “only on IE” which piss me off… Although, I used Fire fox for some time, but didn’t fulfilled my expectatives, while Opera with its speed dial by default, tabs, themes, switchin tabs with 1 for left tab and 2 for right tab, voice for reading websites, widgets (some fun other not much) and mouse gestures!

Hail big O!

Mabudife~

By: templework

templework — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:23:27 +0000

Most people who use IE – use it because the can.
IE is the equivalent of an automatic transmission.
FF is a manual.
Sure those that know how to drive a manual will say it is more fun and a better driving experience
but if you don’t have that knowledge – it doesn’t matter how good it may be.
IE allows everybody to drive – not just the computer gurus.

By: aljuk

aljuk — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:13:29 +0000

People who use IE do so because they don’t know any better.
Anyone who knows better uses a proper browser.

No versions of IE render javascript or css properly, and as for ActiveX – it’s an insecure abomination.

By: John Scott

John Scott — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:23:00 +0000

I really think which browser safer is a mute point for the average user. Sure the people who have bone with Microsoft will say Firefox. But other than being another choice that’s about all it is for most.
It’s really about using a browser that you like and our familiar with.
Most of this safer crap people brag about with Firefox is not concerning for most. They really could care less. I tell most user’s that firefox is probably safer, but of course if some idiot writes malware for just Firefox then all bet’s are off. I tell people to worry more about what sites you go too than which browser is safer. Safer may have worked with IE6 VS Firefox. But IE 7 has made some great strides in security. Which must impress the masses because Firefox adoption has slowed.

By: Robert Nyman

Robert Nyman — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:57:49 +0000

AeroMax,

Thanks for the story.

By: AeroMax

AeroMax — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:15:47 +0000

Asked hacker Mr. xxx-xxx-boy

Q: Does IE really have that much `holes’ in it?
A: “Heck no! Firefox, Opera, `ol Netscape and the rest of those so called browser have more holes in them like a circuit board than IE. They even have so much `tender’ spots, so ripe for the taking.”

Q: Why IE then?
A: “It’s the world! Why waste on a few odds & ends on a small following, when you can have the world…
if any of those `other’ browsers were on top of the world, then that would be our prey of choice. Heck! it would’ve been far easier poking those tempting `tender’ spots. Not so for IE, going up against a giant like MS. They’re covering those holes faster now than we could plan our next `peeking’! As for the rest of the `newbies’, they’ve only `vaccinated’ after IE got the brunt. What matters is, anticipating an attack, not covering up only after the the big fella’s down with a flu. & yes, the rest of the flock only expanded on what MS has gone thru… after the storm. So you see, why go for easy prey when it’s the big game we want. Try browsers built like a tank for OS/2 and other heavyweights. Yup IE is hanging on & almost at par. As for the rest, we haven’t trained our sights on them… yet. M$ hasn’t been boring… X->”

“And yes, I personally use MS IE myself ever since i realized what the internet was. I just love it. Like what that other fella said, it really does integrate beautifully with all sorts of web & media stuff. seamlessly when the rest still just mess up things.
Hat’s off to those who bravely & boldly explore the web on IE!”

AeroMax: Thanks!
Mr. xxx…boy: Welcome. Oh, and watch your six, when surfing…

By: Bruce Lawson’s personal site : Why do you use this browser, not that browser?

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 19:28:27 +0000

[...] A little while ago, Robert Nyman asked Why would anyone use Internet Explorer? [...]

By: BlueClock

BlueClock — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:40:01 +0000

I think that your number one reason, that they don’t know about the alternatives, needs some expansion.

Not only do most people not know about the alternatives, i doubt if any of them care.

Most people I talk to don’t know what you mean when you talk about a browser and many still type a url into google rather than just into the address bar.

And why should they care? They just want to get online, get some news, book a hotel, bouy a book etc.

The developer community is large, but tiny in comparison to the actual web user base. Firebug and similar extension are great for developers, but their user base is miniscule in comparison to the web using population.

I think IE has held it’s dominance in the western world simply because it is the default option for most people. As different OSs take hold throughout the rest of the world this will change.

I use IE7/FF/Opera at work
Camino at Home

By: Jermayn Parker

Jermayn Parker — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:09:30 +0000

Not only educational establishments but also government and main stream businesses do not allow anything else. At the place were I work, some of the products do not work in Firefox like foxweb…