internet explorer Internet Explorer, and the long climb back to respectability.

[Ice_Blue]

http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2012/04/internet-explorer-market-share-surges-as-version-9-wins-hearts-and-minds.ars

This is long deserved.

Firefox is becoming a train wreck, Chrome is stagnating, and Opera and Safari are non-starters.

I think IE 9 is a pretty decent browser. I had been a staunch user of Firefox for the past few years (since version 3), but gave it up and returned to IE.

The things I miss are the extensions like AdBlock, Smooth Scroll, and Themes.

I have learned to live without them, though.

I think Mozilla lost the script when they opted for the rapid release of major versions that were unwarranted (should have been point releases).

I am not holding my breath for them to get back on track.

[cork1958]

+1

Although I never really lost faith in IE.

Although saying this is TOTALLY going against the grain around here, I'd still use IE6 over ANY version of Firefox or Chrome!!

Prefer the off brand browsers. SRWare Iron, Palemoon, Waterfox, Seamonkey and Opera are and have always been my mainstays.

[Ice_Blue]

Prefer the off brand browsers. SRWare Iron, Palemoon, Waterfox, Seamonkey and Opera are and have always been my mainstays.

Palemoon and SeaMonkey are pretty decent. Never tried Waterfox, though. Anything special about it?

[Nick H. Supervisor]

I'd still use IE6 over ANY version of Firefox or Chrome!!

:/

[thealexweb]

Although saying this is TOTALLY going against the grain around here, I'd still use IE6 over ANY version of Firefox or Chrome!!

*ultimate faceplam*

[jakem1]

Although saying this is TOTALLY going against the grain around here, I'd still use IE6 over ANY version of Firefox or Chrome!!

That was probably a great way to derail the thread :(

[Dot Matrix]

The things I miss are the extensions like AdBlock

http://fanboy.co.nz/adblock/ie.html

https://easylist.adblockplus.org/en/

:D

[MS Bob 11]

Why do you need smooth scroll? IE9 scrolling is smoother than ever. In fact, I install a smooth scroll extension for Chrome because its built-in scrolling I find isn't as smooth.

[+Majesticmerc MVC]

All is well in the world. I have no problem with IE regaining market share, as long as it's on the merits of the browser itself, and not through vendor lock in, proprietary extensions and forced bundling. All things IE6 and 7 were guilty of.

IE6 and 7 were absolute catastrophes for progress of the web, and their loss of market share was well deserved. Microsoft rested on their laurels when Netscape crashed and burned, and let the competition catch up and overtake it. The loss of trust in the IE brand was well justified, but now they're on the ball again, IE9 is rightly able to compete with everyone else.

[Japlabot]

A slight change in the measurement metric that they use does not represent any actaul gain for IE, only that the previous months were not as low as thought. If they have a gain next month using the same metric as the previous month, then that is a gain.

Some Microsofties are getting a little too excited here. They are the same who said that IE6 was superior because it was "The Standard" (de facto standard) that everything worked with, that everyone should use Windows so that they can use IE6 (and Mac and Linux don't count because they are only used by a few commies/hippies) and that the Tabs feature is useless because you can use the Taskbar Grouping feature of Windows XP to manage multiple windows at once instead!

I don't know why but people like to try other browsers but always go back to a security blanket even if it is no good just because they are familiar with it. I admit that I am no different. If anything IE will get usage as they push out IE9 & IE10 because IE users tend to be a very change resistant mob, particularly the novice users who simply don't care or know what a Browser is or that there are alternatives, and changing the IE interface around is just alienating them from their security blanket. Firefox users cry when the interface is changed around for god sakes even though it only takes a few clicks to bring the menu bar back.

[MS Bob 11]

IE7 and IE8 were very good steps forward but from a standards perspective, they were too far behind the competition. IE7 introduced tabs, beefed up security and had RSS in the browser done perfect. IE8 introduced session restore and tab crash recovery, a very nice Favorites bar, SmartScreen, InPrivate browsing and tracking filtering. IE9 was the biggest leap forward for standards compliance and IE10 is too, except for the really sad oversimplified GUIs.

[Colin McGregor]

I always used IE. Even in linux i use IE. I prefer IEs popup block (when set to high no popup at all ever goes through), and the ability to disable flash and only use it on sites i want it used in. All without having to install any extensions. Plus it works for every site i go to and if it ain't broke then why bother using someone else to get it done.

[Ice_Blue]

Why do you need smooth scroll? IE9 scrolling is smoother than ever. In fact, I install a smooth scroll extension for Chrome because its built-in scrolling I find isn't as smooth.

Well, once I got spoilt with the chrome extension, I find IE's scroll to be not as fluid.

[Ice_Blue]

http://fanboy.co.nz/adblock/ie.html

https://easylist.adblockplus.org/en/

:D

Thank you very much indeed.

Now I may never go back to FF. :laugh:

[bogas04]

Is there any way to pin tabs to TABBAR (not superbar) in IE? Its the only feature which holds me back from using IE ,,, its such a decent feature

[Muhammad Farrukh]

IE is awesome no matter what you think/say

[MS Bob 11]

Well, once I got spoilt with the chrome extension, I find IE's scroll to be not as fluid.

By scrolling you mean with the mouse wheel or keyboard? Because scrolling is one of the first things that usually you notice due to the smoothness and fluidity introduced by IE9's hardware acceleration of all elements. Check in Internet Options to make "Use software rendering is unchecked".

[ArialBlue]

Opera is being Opera. Enough said.

Chrome hasn't really improved at all since forever ago. Enabled its "HWA" and tested it out, realized that it made no difference.

Firefox gave itself browser immunity virus by injecting high dose of version 4 and has been trying to cure itself ever since. Not to imply that it was ever fast.

Internet Explorer 9 is OK, but doesn't handle multiple tabs nicely. And simply just might become unresponsive for some time when opening a detailed website.

And it is a massive improvement over IE8.

[threetonesun]

Anyone using IE < 9, today, is absolutely nuts.

IE10 seems decent, for what it is. As the default web browser, I don't think it's as good as Safari, but clearly MS is finally making the push to be standards compliant.

[Tech Star]

What about spell check for IE?

[Jan Veteran]

What about spell check for IE?

IE 10.

[+Warwagon MVC]

IE 10.

Only a few years behind the times on that.

[Ice_Blue]

By scrolling you mean with the mouse wheel or keyboard? Because scrolling is one of the first things that usually you notice due to the smoothness and fluidity introduced by IE9's hardware acceleration of all elements. Check in Internet Options to make "Use software rendering is unchecked".

Ah! That was it!

Many, many thanks.

Talk about using a Ferrari like a bicycle.

[Dot Matrix]

Spell check will come in IE10 for both Windows 8 and Windows 7. It'll be system wide in Windows 8.

[Ice_Blue]

Spell check will come in IE10 for both Windows 8 and Windows 7. It'll be system wide in Windows 8.

In the meantime, there is speckie:

http://www.speckie.com/home/