5 Reasons Why IE Fails

PCEverything writes: "Internet Explorer, the gateway to the internet, or so it was back in the day is anything but now. Currently, there are several decent browsers that can get you to the same place faster, safer and easier. With an unbiased approach, I will look into the reasons why IE has and is beginning to fail. From CSS interpretations to memory usage IE has gone downhill."

[Bnet343]

Ouch, that site seems a little one sided by just looking at the community activity. The fact that they provided links to alternative browsers was not cool. We know IE sucks, but you don't need to make up peoples mind on that. Let them choose themselves.

[Elven6]

I agree, some of those points aren't even valid! Does Firefox or Chrome have a 1800 number you can call for technical assistance? Security? The number 1 law of programing, nothing is ever 100% secure, the only reason Internet Explorer is targeted is because of the huge market share it has compared to the competition. Customizing? More like nit picking, Internet Explorer has the ability to create addons, their are a ton of great add ons for it as well, Microsoft even has a "marketplace" for them where you can browse through free and premium add ons all submitted by the community with some from Microsoft, this point might have been valid a few years ago, but definitely not in 2008 or 09 depending on where your reading this from ;)

The only points I agree with are the .css issues and memory usage.

[S1CKLY]

I agree that the arguments about customization and support are pretty weak, but what the author stated about CSS, memory usage and security are all completely true.. that should be enough to scare you into switching.

As a web developer I ask you all.. PLEASE.. use firefox.. or opera at the least.

[Bnet343]

It's funny how two people say they agree, yet I get two disagrees. I don't really give a sh*t about the agree or disagree thing since your comment doesn't get covered up like other sites do, but thought it was funny how that was.

[Elven6]

Heh I don't even use the agree/disagree thing because their always run by fanboys who are tainting the vote so to speak, I'll give you +1 ;)

[TaylorFlatt]

I see your point, however, that was not the point of the article. The main point of the article was to simply display the faults of the browser. From personal experience it only makes sense to have a one sided view on "5 Reasons Why IE fails". But, by listing the faults, it is still left up to the reader to make a choice whether or not to stay or leave IE. It is just giving the plain fact to many people who otherwise don't know and blindly use the browser because it comes with their OS.

But I do see your point Kigmal.

[power of Green]

IE/MSFT/Windows always fails on the web where alot of trolls and haters gather.

Most people are fine with it lol.

Seems we're seeing the backlash and the forced news again.

[Obama]

I hope you are not trying to say that IE is better than firefox and chrome.

[Gun_Senshi]

there is difference between facts and opinions

[power of Green]

Oh look imagine that.

@#3.1, Change the avatar please and your username, you're not doing the pres elect any favors at all, matter of fact you unfairly cause me to see Obama diferently for 5 minutes when you stalk me.

[Speed-Racer]

@power - you are such an idiot... (obama statement)

also, if you put up with mediocre web browsing...fine, that's not our problem...remain in your hole of narrow mindedness

[dukadork2]

http://i43.tinypic.com/w2dj...

[Eiffel]

N4G.

"Where The Obvious is News"

[SAiOSiN]

I use Google Chrome and occasionally Safari.

[Gun_Senshi]

That reason is:

Microsoft

[_Q_]

Made by Microsoft =P
Its FF is way better

[Bladestar]

"With an unbiased approach, I will look into the reasons why IE has and is beginning to fail." HAHAHAHAHAHA!

I favor Firefox over IE... IE my primary development and user browser.

I still use IE when writing developing Intranet solutions that may require stuff that goes outside of just HTML and javascript.

i.e. web-based cash register that requires some ActiveX component to trigger the cash register to open or to print a receipt... Some of these things are just way too hard or not possible for firefox or other browsers.

But let's be honest... most people are bias against IE simply because it's a Microsoft product.

Anyone with half brain know that the reason why IE may be less secure is because is the most user browser and therefore it's the main target by hackers. Also, because of ActiveX and other functionality that if users are not careful and download into their computers (when asked) can potentially give hackers access...

These features give developer lots of power and allow us to do things with a browser not possible without it. These features can be harmful if misused.

How about W3C and other internet standards?

Well, there is Microsoft and there is everyone else.

The fact is that when Microsoft comes up with a technology for the most part it's criticized and ignore completely by lots of developers and companies... sometimes by many years... forcing Microsoft to decide a) Do nothing and not bring the new technology or b) Add it to the browser and be the only one with it.

Take web 2.0 or ajax... up until recently (no more than 2-3 years) a huge surge and talks about ajax (asynchronous JavaScript and XML)...

Microsoft created the XMLHttpRequest object as an ActiveX control in Internet Explorer 5... in 1999... everyone ignore it! everyone though it was a bad idea and bashed it...

Because of this lots of developer used IE to make intranet application that currently are not compatible to Firefox and other browsers...

Later... Mozilla and other browser... woke up and saw the potential of this Microsoft idea.. and release their own version with their own standard and implementation... once again... deciding to re-invent instead of adopting it... simply because it was Microsoft.

On April 5, 2006 the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) released the first draft specification for the object in an attempt to create an official web standard.

it took 8 years!!!!!!!!!!!

Most of the HTML, CSS, etc impatibilities between IE and other browser have being because of the same situation....

Microsoft having to add a specific feature to IE and the community refusing to adopt it... and years later saying, "ohh wow! that would be nice... let's add it and call it something else.. like ajax".... usually releasing it with a complete standard.

But is Microsoft the only one that add features and plugging to CSS and HTML?

Take a look at this link: https://developer.mozilla.o...

do you see? lots of these extensions are not W3C standards... and many of them are alternatives to IE non-W3C standards... Firefox developers rather to come up with their own implementation that existed for many years in IE and instead of adopting it they make their own...

No one complains about this... then later W3C who for the most part is manged by anti-microsoft people tend to approve Mozilla extensions over Microsoft's though Microsoft came out with it first like in the case of ajax rending IE incompatible.

Now many of you may think what I am saying it's not true... but if you have the balls I welcome you to do research... look at the history of ajax, XML, HTML... and you will see.. that many of these so call incompatibilities of IE are do to Microsoft releasing that functionality in IE years before W3C comes up with it.

It's kind of stupid to expect Microsoft to wait 8 years like in the case of ajax to be made a standard by the W3C, specially when Firefox or someone else are all making their own versions of the same technology.

[MaximusPrime]

my top 4 that i use most:

- Firefox 3 (Beta 4)
- Google Chrome
- Apple Safari
- Windows Internet Explorer 6

[Wile]

Firefox is my choice as well.

[Speed-Racer]

Well as a webmaster, IE has always been a pain in the ass because of the inability to correctly interpret a lot of modern day CSS, which Firefox and Opera handle just properly. Also with the long time it takes to load, im a Firefox fan.

[farhsa2008]

IE sucks, typical Microshaft

[Taylor]

Chrome, Chrome and more Chrome...although microsoft is the big man, they do come out wiht some good stuff but a lot of times (think norton) it goes down the shoots..they just need to step it up i suppose :/

[Viper7]

Only 5? come on you can do better than that..