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IE6 SP1 Will Be Last Standalone Version

Posted by michael on from the end-of-an-era dept.

mokiejovis writes "Program manager Brian Countryman stated that "as part of the OS, IE will continue to evolve, but there will be no future standalone installations. IE6 SP1 is the final standalone installation." See the Microsoft TechNet article." Several of the people submitting this story have come up with elaborate theories about why: killing competition, etc. etc. I think the truth is just that Microsoft intends to integrate DRM very tightly with their OS and browser, and they're aren't going to try to backport that to, say, Win98, so they just aren't going to release new versions of their browser for old, DRM-less operating systems. In the future server-side browser detection may be more about detecting whether the browser supports the DRM your "web service" uses than what version of Javascript or CSS the browser supports.

10 of 723 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No more bugs in IE! Yea! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You almost sound bitter. I'd be overjoyed by having microsoft leave ME alone.

  2. Re:No more bugs in IE! Yea! by SkArcher · · Score: 4, Funny

    They no longer support Windows 98 either, officially, and Me... well, Me is M$'s bastard grandchild OS and all copies of it should have been burnt in the pressing house.

    Just my personal bias, that.

    --

    An infinite number of monkeys will eventually come up with the complete works of /.
  3. Let's hope by mabu · · Score: 3, Funny

    Microsoft calls their next OS version, "Lisa".

    Then the circle will be complete!

  4. Re:Justice department by Kenshin · · Score: 4, Funny
    Microsoft can do whatever it pleases now, it knows the government is a paper tiger.

    I guess YOU have never gotten a paper cut. Those things hurt like a bastard!

    --

    Does it make you happy you're so strange?

  5. Re:So how exactly has IE evolved in the last 5 yea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Tell that to a web designer. They'll laugh in your face.
    (opens window to alley) Hey, get out of my trashcan! There's no more sandwiches in there... and let me ask you a question about Mozilla.

  6. Re:Oh!!, Just another reson to talk to CTO!! by Snork+Asaurus · · Score: 4, Funny
    Its another reason to go and talk to CTO and tell him to evaluate TCO

    I have TCO meeting with my CTO in OCT and it'll be so boring I'll need a COT.

    --
    Sigs are bad for your health.
  7. Re:Mozilla beware!! by TopShelf · · Score: 4, Funny

    yeah, if there's one thing that Sherman guy was sharp on, it was browser-OS ties and DRM restrictions. He rocked...

    --
    Stop by my site where I write about ERP systems & more
  8. Today on Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny
    " I think the truth is just that Microsoft intends to integrate DRM very tightly with their OS and browser, and they're aren't going to try to backport that to, say, Win98, so they just aren't going to release new versions of their browser for old, DRM-less operating systems."
    • News for Nerds... Speculation that matters?

  9. But? by Realistic_Dragon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does this mean that Slashdot will be deleting the big blue e graphic from the gif folder?

    --
    Beep beep.
  10. Re:Browser detection by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 5, Funny

    {sarcasm} All this open source stuff and other browsers will just get in the way. {/sarcasm}

    Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer!