IE "innovation" . . . again

[RHPConsult]

I see that M$ really, really has difficulty solving its many problems.

A prefatory note in today’s Los Angeles Times about the long-awaited unveiling of the State’s elected redistricting commission for the coming decade’s legislative and congressional elections contains a fascinating gem. Way to go Redmond.

QUOTE

(Note to readers: The Times is trying to resolve technical issues that prevent the maps from working in the Internet Explorer browser. We apologize for any inconvenience. In the meantime, the maps can be viewed using Firefox, Chrome and Safari web browsers.)

The on-line story contains quite remarkable before-and-after interactive maps posing no difficulties for Safari, Chrome or Firefox.

Amazing design work here, even for a moden newspaper, IMO

[Xairbusdriver]

That's a pretty broad bush there...it might be more useful if the version of IE was specified. Many Windows users have no idea that there are even different/newer versions of IE or most of their other apps. I dare say the same can be said of many Mac users.

I doubt that the Safari 2.x would have worked perfectly at that site.

[RHPConsult]

Picky, picky, ABDeeeeee.

I assume we're talking the IE that exists on July of 2011, in sufficient "quality" and number to interest the Times.

There are times that the only brush available is broad!

[Xairbusdriver]

QUOTE

I assume we're talking the IE that exists on July of 2011, in sufficient "quality" and number to interest the Times.

But there are at least 3 versions (6, 7 & of IE in very wide use and some are even using IE5! And version 9, which has only been released in the last few months, is actually quite good, very standards compliant and even has many CSS 3 and HTML5 capabilities. So, simply saying "Internet Explorer" can't handle the maps is much too general to base any judgements on their capabilities. In fact, it is usually the other way round; many sites have been developed with IE proprietary methods that cause problems for almost all other browsers. That's mainly because IE being created by the infamous 800 pound gorilla saw no need to do things the way any standards group felt would be better. IE killed NetScape and decided it could do things the way it wanted. And it worked for many years, of course. But we have seen the web shift away from IE starting fairly recently as people discovered that there actually are better browsers.

It may very well be that the maps are created by using the "Canvas" functions in HTML5. Those functions allow a modern browser to display almost any kind of graphic the developer can have the patience to design...but it is extremely time consuming and tedious (right now, anyway) and I don't know how well IE 9 handles those specifications. And those specifications are hardly inked in yet. Many may take several more years before they become 'permanent.' HTML5 shows great promise, but it is a game of catchup by all browser developers, not just IE. You may have noticed that Firefox has already had two(?) major upgrade this year alone. MS is seldom accused of being a nimble company!!!

Don't misunderstand me, I think it's great that large entities call out the problems with IE, the more publicity about its shortcomings, the more pressure is put on MS to improve it. But just as important is to specify which versions of IE are having the problem, otherwise, many people will not see a reason to upgrade whatever version they have. And it is refreshing to see some attention focused on the shortcomings of IE from people not involved in browser development! I'm getting extremely tired of the sound of grinding axes...

[RHPConsult]

In "my" present state of personal repair there are some things I just don't have a real need to know, but I'm certain your disquisition is of interest to many TeeEssers. You have a remarkable fund of knowledge and a genuinely admirable enthusiasm for sharing it.

I posted for only 3 reasons:

• the successful Initiative Petition for non-politicians to draw electoral district boundaries really worked. A hopeful sign.
• to admire the amazing abilities of graphic artists who work for the modern newspaper (using Macs, I'll wager)
• to note that M$'s lack of stewardship is finding new critics.

That's all.

[sandyman]

QUOTE

And version 9, which has only been released in the last few months, is actually quite good, very standards compliant and even has many CSS 3 and HTML5 capabilities.

Tsk, tsk.... I really did not expect you to be using/trying out Internet Exploder   given the latest study on browser usage

The Register

Sandy

[kimmer]

LOL! Great article, Sandy!

[RHPConsult]

Wait-a-minute, wait-a-minute.

Somebody administered >100,000 Wechslers in this "study"?

It's been nearly 5 decades since I administered one (face-to-face) not mass paper-and-pencil, so I could be wrong. Big time. But . . .

Let's see what Lorraine has to say about that likelihood???

Are we sure this isn't some iteration of the guy touting the Turbo-Entabulator?

[Xairbusdriver]

QUOTE

I really did not expect you to be using/trying out Internet Exploder

Who said I'd downloaded, much less ever used IE9?! I don't have amy version of Windows installed on any of our Macs, so whatever its new capabilities, I'll never see/use them. But that has nothing to do with the fact that it is the best browser ever to come from Redmond. Frankly, the more competition in the browser area (or any other, for that matter) the better. I don't understand the negative 'vibes' I sense in this thread.

QUOTE

I posted for only 3 reasons:

• the successful Initiative Petition for non-politicians to draw electoral district boundaries really worked. A hopeful sign.
• to admire the amazing abilities of graphic artists who work for the modern newspaper (using Macs, I'll wager)
• to note that M$'s lack of stewardship is finding new critics.

And we all appreciate those. And I agreed, especially with your last reason in post #4, to wit:

QUOTE

And it is refreshing to see some attention focused on the shortcomings of IE from people not involved in browser development!

Now, you want "innovation" from MS? How about this brain-bending idea: <The Data Furnace: Heating Up with Cloud Computing> Remember, you heard it here first! Somehow, finding a "solution" like this typifies the "thinking" in Redmond (which I notice is in the pretty northern part of a very northern state where few homes even have air conditioning...). I wonder if they ever noticed that much of this country is suffering from triple digit heat indexes? OTOH, this looks like a great opportunity for at least one US state and much of our good northern neighbor sharing a border with said state...

[Highmac]

QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Aug 2 2011, 01:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now, you want "innovation" from MS? How about this brain-bending idea: <The Data Furnace: Heating Up with Cloud Computing> Remember, you heard it here first!

Of course, Iceland would prefer you move the cloud servers their way to save energy..... BBC report from 2009

[sandyman]

QUOTE

Who said I'd downloaded, much less ever used IE9?! dntknw.gif I don't have amy version of Windows installed on any of our Macs, so whatever its new capabilities, I'll never see/use them. But that has nothing to do with the fact that it is the best browser ever to come from Redmond. Frankly, the more competition in the browser area (or any other, for that matter) the better. I don't understand the negative 'vibes' I sense in this thread. dntknw.gif

Xabd, unfortunately you couldn't see my face when I posted the reply. If you had been able to do so you would have seen a rather large bulge on the right hand side caused by my tongue being pushed into my cheek.  

Sandy

[chriskleeman]

Hi Sandy,

I almost choked on my coffee this morning when I started laughing reading that article! That's hilarious! Please do come back and visit more often with that bulge in the side of your cheek!

Too funny!    

And Jim, I can assure you, as I have to use Exploder 9 with our beverage ordering software, since it's IE specific, it's one of the most non-intuitive, piece of junk browsers I've ever used!  

Chris  

[Xairbusdriver]

QUOTE

it's one of the most non-intuitive, piece of junk browsers I've ever used!

Well, it's still a MS product! Right? But it's the most standards compliant MS browser ever created. That doesn't help users much, but it sure makes a difference to web developers...at least it will when (in only 5~10 years) when people finally upgrade to it! Hopefully, as the numbers of users using the older versions continues to drop, fewer and fewer web sites will rely on CSS hacks/javascript/incantations to make things look acceptable in them.

But one doesn't normally interact with any browser except for setting up preferences/properties. There's only so many ways to present the location bad, back button, tab locations, etc. But any web-site/web-app can be made hard to use and un-intuitive, no matter what browser is used. That's up to the designer(s)/developer(s).