Google Chrome Frame for Internet Explorer

Google released something cool today called the Google Chome Frame. According to Google, “an early-stage open source plug-in that seamlessly brings Google Chrome’s open web technologies and speedy JavaScript engine to Internet Explorer.”

It helps make the Microsoft browser better in two respects:

• Start using open web technologies - like the HTML5 canvas tag - right away, even technologies that aren’t yet supported in Internet Explorer 6, 7, or 8.
• Take advantage of JavaScript performance improvements to make your apps faster and more responsive.

In short, Chrome Frame is a plug-in for Internet Explorer 6, 7, and 8 (to those still using IE 6, shame on you or your IT department) that makes Internet Explorer a better browser.

The caveat is that the web developers have to embed a special tag in their HTML code to switch to rendering using Google Chrome Frame instead of IE. Still a good move nonetheless. Hopefully if the takeup rate is high enough, IE6 can finally die.

Here's a video introduction of what Google Frame is about.

Killing IE6 Helps Fight World Hunger

No kidding! Upgrade to IE8 and feed the hungry.
http://www.browserforthebetter.com/index-htm.html#getie8:ZMQaSc6a0m-



Via Mashable.com

IE6 Venn Diagram

Source

Microsoft: Breaking up with IE6 hard to do

It's been roughly eight years since Microsoft released Internet Explorer 6, but in many ways the company is still very much tied to the aging product.

Looks like IE6 will continue to stay with us and to frustrate us for a long time to come.

Read more

IE6 No More! Popular Web Companies Start Project to Kill IE6

http://mashable.com/2009/08/04/ie6-no-more/

Get Your Laggard IT Department Moving

HEY-IT is a much-needed campaign to get your IT department to upgrade from IE6.

Grab the poster and bug the hell out of these lazy IT people!

Break Your Website in One Click!

Want to see how your web site will break in the world's most famous browser? Check out IE6ify!

After years of observation and reverse engineering I am proud to say I have been able to reproduce the IE6 algorithm to break even the most standards-compliant websites.

Drag the bookmarklet to your browser, go to any site and click! Poof, your website is now broken.

IE6 Denial Illustration

Momentile.com has a charming illustration that is shown to visitors when they use IE6.
The owners blogged about their experience, and kindly put it under a Creative Commons license, so grab it for your website today!

Developers: Support Internet Explorer 6 Easily

Here's another alternative to the IE6 headache that developers have to go through every time they make a new website:

• Do not layout anything for IE6 users
• Instead, just display a nicely styled HTML version

Great suggestion!

More: Universal Internet Explorer 6 CSS

How to Scare IE Users into Upgrading with only ONE Line of Code

Quote:

These older browsers are a swiss-cheese of security holes, allowing black-hats out there to take over computers, construct bot-nets, and even steal their victim’s identity, most of the time without their knowledge.

We can tell them they need to upgrade until we’re blue in the face, but how can we “convince” them to actually do it? Let’s face it, if they haven’t upgraded already, the usual tactics haven’t work and chances are they won’t work regardless of how much we “gently ask” them to upgrade.

Maybe we can use some “black hat tactics” to scare them into upgrading! It sounds worse that it really is, and no hacking/exploiting is involved.

Read full article

More IE6 Fixes

A couple more articles on fixing IE6-related issues.

10 Fixes That Solve IE6 Problems
IE6 CSS Fixer : Starter Kit

Have fun.

10 Cool Things We’ll Be Able To Do Once IE6 Is Dead

James Edwards at SitePoint talks about the 10 cool things that we will finally be able to do once IE6 is dead.

Update: Looks like this is very popularly retweeted.

Read full article

Firefox 3 market share crawls past IE 7 in Europe

According to Web analytics firm StatCounter, Firefox 3 has finally surpassed the popularity of Internet Explorer 7 in Europe. Internet Explorer's total marketshare across all versions, however, still exceeds that of Firefox.

Read full article

Microsoft IE8 getting automatic rollout

Was slightly happy when I saw this piece of news that IE8 will be automatically pushed to users still running IE6 or IE7 on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, or Windows Server 2008. However, according to Microsoft,

IE8 will not automatically install on machines. Users must opt-in to install IE8. Users will see a Welcome screen that offers choices: Ask later, install now, or don’t install.

Come on Microsoft, I am sure you can do better than that. Just make it mandatory for users to download it as if it's a big security fix. Things won't get better if users can opt out of it.

IE6 Upgrade Warning

Here's a nice little script which will display a nice message asking users using IE6 to upgrade to better browsers.

Stop Hanging on to Obsolete Software

Extract:

I tell you this - if you stick with IE6 for a while longer, one day you will wake up, and all your favorite pages will stop working. Facebook will be all out of alignment, and you won’t be able to update your status. Google maps wont work, and etc. That will be the day when we stop giving a flying fuck about IE6. Think about it.

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Top 10 reasons to switch from Internet Explorer 6:

Top 10 reasons to switch from Internet Explorer 6 (Extracted from the Unofficial Google Operating System Blog)

1. Switch to a more secure browser.
2. Get a faster browser.
3. Web pages will look better.
4. Use a browser that it's not closely integrated with your operating system.
5. Try a browser that has native support for Ajax.
6. Open less windows by using tabs.
7. Get a search box without installing toolbars.
8. Get anti-phishing protection.
9. Web developers will thank you.
10. If IE6 is no longer a popular browser, developers will spend more time releasing new features.

Read full article

Anti-IE6 Disclaimer

Found in Twitter Search: Interesting Anti-IE6 disclaimer over at newtoyork.com

Hi, if you are coming to this site via Internet Explorer 6, you might not be getting the best experience possible. Honestly, I can't even begin to think about what your entire experience on the internet must be like? (...probably like riding a bike on the highway while cars blow by you on their way to Costco to get gallons of mayonnaise and 60-inch plasma TV's). How will you ever be able to use this website?????? You wont. You're an asshole and your browser is an asshole. So look, I'm going to be honest: I kind of hate you. BUT we c-a-n make this work. Here is what I am going to need you to do: fire up your Toshiba ShitBook© that weighs about 45 pounds, wipe the Cheeto dust off the screen, download Safari ( http://www.apple.com/safari/download/ ), delete Internet Explorer from your computer, punch yourself in the face, and get me a pulled pork sandwich.

8 Javascript solutions to common CSS problems

After so many anti-IE posts, let's have something positive. The catswhocode blog has an article on using Javascript to fix common CSS problems, most of which unsurprisingly affects IE.

6 html and javascript codes to crash IE6

If your website has enough clout, these html and javascript codes might be what you need to get your users to upgrade to a better browser. If not, it's still fun anyway. :)

Anti-IE6 sentiments on Twitter

Not long ago, I twitted about the desire to have a malware writer to write a malware which will replace IE6 with IE7. Apparently, I am not the only one.

Turns out @codepo8 twitted this a little earlier:

Wouldn't it be awesome if it turned out that conficker only removes IE6 and replaces it with Firefox with an IE skin? pleasepleaseplease

And @designorant twits:

Here is an idea: make a virus that will automatically upgrade your IE6 to IE7. Easy?

I am sure there are more. :)

IE6 Voodoo Doll

Do you hate IE6 enough to build this voodoo doll by Teresa Watts aka Chisa?

Easing the transition from IE6 to using newer browsers…

Christian Heilmann talks about a novel way to ease the transition from IE6 to newer, more capable browsers.