Sometimes, I just can’t understand MS.

Published on March 28, 2011 By DrJBHL In Personal Computing

This really isn’t very involved. I was looking at two sets of numbers:

MS just launched ie9. Supposedly faster and more secure. There are a lot of qualifiers to that.

But, even if there weren’t, I still don’t get how they think. Granted, over the seven months, XP’s share dropped 10% (54% to 44%). IE’s share dropped 10% also (36% to 26%) while the big winner was Chrome (10% to 24%).

So why didn’t they make ie9 for XP which still has 44% of the OS market?

It would seem to me that they would want to hold onto that, no? Was their thinking, “Let them use ie8.”? Seems to me that’s short sighted (and just a tad arrogant).

Wouldn’t it have been smarter (overall) to say, “These are tough economic times. We understand, and will extend support for XP longer than we planned originally and continue to make ie8 as secure and trustworthy as we can.”?

So can you explain this? – who was smarter?

As Firefox is setting download records, and Chrome is greased lightning, both having great extensions.

Comments (Page 4)

kona0197

on Mar 29, 2011

FutileEmotion

reply 43

Nevermind the recession - a four year old PC is well behind the curve as far as what is on the market today, but it still does everything a general user needs it to do.

Explain to me then why my friends Pentium 4 era machine can hardly run Facebook games...

Jafo

on Mar 29, 2011

DrJBHL

reply 32

Which brings me to the next question: The ethics of what they're doing/not doing. No argument that XP belongs to MS and in all truth is theirs to support or not, but I do feel it's unethical to force XP users to go and buy something else if only because their money helped position MS to conduct the R&D to come up with Vista and 7.

There's really nothing 'wrong' with XP that WB doesn't fix.

There's no issue of 'ethics'. No-one is forcing anyone to do anything.

And there's WAY MORE WRONG with XP than the Fisher-Price look [which WB can fix] .

It ain't 'just' plug-ugly, it breaks....

LightStar

on Mar 29, 2011

Jafo

reply 47

And there's WAY MORE WRONG with XP than the Fisher-Price look [which WB can fix] .

It ain't 'just' plug-ugly, it breaks....

Not sure about that one Jafo, been using XP since it came out in beta, it is still my main OS, and I have never had any major issues at all. But then again I build my own PC's or select the components and have the PC built for me. All these BSOD's and stuff people talk about are things I have never really experienced.

I do have Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows 7 Ultimate too though, triple boot is nice.

Kantok

on Mar 29, 2011

DrJBHL

reply 32

Philly0381

reply 33

One might argue that ethics has no place in the business world.

Ethics certainly belongs in the business world. However, I think you're confusing business ethics with corporate social responsibility (or some other "businesses should be good citizens nonsense"). Ethical behavior for Microsoft is to look after share holder value, their business partners, and their employees.

Customers should be treated well or they'll go buy from someone else. But there is no ethics involved in whether or not Microsoft should support a decade old operating system that has absolutely no licensing fees. That's purely a business decision.

I'd argue that it's Microsoft's concern for their customers and those customers unwillingness to upgrade that has kept XP going this long.

Uvah

on Mar 30, 2011

DrJBHL

reply 27

Here ya go, Uvah: http://windows8center.com/uncategorized/download-windows-8s-aero-lite-theme-for-windows-7/

It looks like a polished version of Windows Classic. Nah ..... I'll stick with Winndowblinds. Its prettier.

RavenX

on Mar 30, 2011

DrJBHL

reply 27

Here ya go, Uvah: http://windows8center.com/uncategorized/download-windows-8s-aero-lite-theme-for-windows-7/

Wow...that page has a "how to install" video tutorial...really?!?! Stupid people must be breeding by the Millions if they need a video tut on how to hit "next"....*facepalm*

captainmoonlight

on Mar 30, 2011

Uvah

reply 50

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 27 Here ya go, Uvah: http://windows8center.com/uncategorized/download-windows-8s-aero-lite-theme-for-windows-7/
It looks like a polished version of Windows Classic. Nah ..... I'll stick with Winndowblinds. Its prettier.

to right W B is much better

DrJBHL

on Mar 30, 2011

captinmoonlight

reply 52

Quoting Uvah, reply 50
Quoting DrJBHL, reply 27 Here ya go, Uvah: http://windows8center.com/uncategorized/download-windows-8s-aero-lite-theme-for-windows-7/
It looks like a polished version of Windows Classic. Nah ..... I'll stick with Winndowblinds. Its prettier.

to right W B is much better

WB is much better imo.

RavenX

reply 51

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 27 Here ya go, Uvah: http://windows8center.com/uncategorized/download-windows-8s-aero-lite-theme-for-windows-7/

Wow...that page has a "how to install" video tutorial...really?!?! Stupid people must be breeding by the Millions if they need a video tut on how to hit "next"....*facepalm*

The idea was to show Uvah what 8 looked like only.

RavenX

on Mar 30, 2011

DrJBHL

reply 53

The idea was to show Uvah what 8 looked like only.

True. I'm just saying, anyone who needs a video tut on how to install something that basic doesn't have any business even being on a computer lol.

Dr Guy

on Mar 30, 2011

Jafo

reply 47

And there's WAY MORE WRONG with XP than the Fisher-Price look [which WB can fix] .

It ain't 'just' plug-ugly, it breaks....

Jafo reminds me if "if I had a a hammer". I have a hammer. it is a fine hammer! It can hammer in the morning and in the evening.

but it cannot screw in a screw. XP is like my hammer, but people are complaining because it does not work on screws correctly. IN the early days of XP, I experienced a few BSODs, but I cannot remember the last BSOD from XP. I sure can with Vista!

The world may be going to screws, but if all you want to do is hammer, XP is still a great OS.

DrJBHL

on Mar 30, 2011

Dr Guy

reply 55

but it cannot screw in a screw.

Get a bigger hammer.

Uvah

on Mar 30, 2011

Or a screwy one. I hear they're called screw-drivers.

DaveRI

on Mar 30, 2011

Dr Guy

reply 55

The world may be going to screws, but if all you want to do is hammer, XP is still a great OS.

Not to mention that I've got all these nice nails that don't go in so well with a screwdriver. Of course I could still get them in whacking them with a screwdriver, it would "run", but my "experience score" would be pretty sucky.

Dr Guy

on Mar 30, 2011

DrJBHL

reply 56

Quoting Dr Guy,
reply 55
but it cannot screw in a screw.

Get a bigger hammer.

Uvah

reply 57

Or a screwy one. I hear they're called screw-drivers.

I knew I was going to regret that analogy.

Disturbedcomputer

on Mar 30, 2011

So why didn’t they make ie9 for XP which still has 44% of the OS market?[/quote]
To get people to drop XP

Dr Guy

reply 1

Microsoft gets nothing for the browser

I can't say if they do or don't. I will say there's money in it for them some where Probably

[quote who="LightStar" reply="48" id="2914446"]And there's WAY MORE WRONG with XP than the Fisher-Price look [which WB can fix] .

It ain't 'just' plug-ugly, it breaks....

Not sure about that one Jafo, been using XP since it came out in beta, it is still my main OS, and I have never had any major issues at all. But then again I build my own PC's or select the components and have the PC built for me. All these BSOD's and stuff people talk about are things I have never really experienced.

I do have Windows Vista Ultimate and Windows 7 Ultimate too though, triple boot is nice.

XP was my first PC and it was and is still a good OS now on an PC made for 7 I like 7 but I still like XP to

I understand MS has to let XP go some day and 7

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