| |
IE 9 Beta To Exclude XP Users
By Doug Caverly
Staff Writer
Article Date: 2010-08-19
Next month, the beta version of Internet Explorer 9 will be released to the public, giving many people a chance to see what Microsoft is offering in its race to stay ahead of Firefox and Chrome. Only Windows XP users won't be allowed much of a glimpse, as it turns out XP won't be supported.
Jackie Mueller recently reported, "Only Windows 7 and Windows Vista users will be able to use IE9, however - Windows XP is not supported. This is due to a new hardware acceleration feature of the browser that uses a version of DirectX only available in Windows Vista and Windows 7."
That's not great news for XP users. Some XP users won't even know they're missing out on anything, of course, but more aware individuals will either have to bear having an out-of-date browser or make the switch to Firefox or Chrome. Or upgrade to Windows 7 (and maybe a new computer), which is what Microsoft would probably prefer.
Otherwise, users of old IE versions will perhaps experience longer load times, worse interoperability, and less impressive graphics compared to folks with IE 9.
XP users should at least have a little time to think the matter over, though. The final version of IE 9 isn't expected to debut until sometime next year, meaning it'll be possible to take advantage of Black Friday and holiday sales if a purchase turns out to be necessary.
Or maybe XP users can use the time to petition Microsoft, arguing that XP shouldn't be ignored just yet.
About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest eBusiness news.
|
|
