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Auto Install of IE 7 Delayed In Japan

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the for-reasons dept.

filenavigator writes "Microsoft has delayed the automatic install of IE 7 in Japan. There's an an interesting response in one of the MSDN blogs. IT pros are saying that they have done this because business users asked it to be delayed. It seems to me many business users here in North America wanted it to be delayed as well, but were forced to scramble and deploy IE 7 blocking software. This looks like more proof that the IE 7 automatic push was more for marketing reasons, than security. If it were a security issue, than why wait on the Japanese push?" Does anyone know the 'technical' reason that the autoinstall was delayed?

3 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. Different countries has different situations by 3770 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Oh come on, it isn't always black or white.

    It is very possible that Microsoft wants IE7 to be installed for security reasons, and that there are no reasons that are important enough to outweigh that in the U.S. But lets say for example, that the language support in IE7 is broken for Japanese in some weird and newly discovered way, and that a large portion of Japanese web sites don't function properly.

    So, see? While the security situation is the same in all countries, other issues may not.

    --
    The Internet is full. Go Away!!!
    1. Re:Different countries has different situations by tomhudson · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The "security reason" is Microsoft's financial security. Firefox is showing people that IE is one more piece of the Microsoft software stack they can do without.

      Once they discover openoffice, most of them won't need Windows except as a gaming box - and the Wii looks more interesting to a lot of people.

  2. Re:It's not a coincidence.. by Douglas+Goodall · · Score: 2, Interesting

    As a software developer, and an ex-company owner, I believe I understand all the sides of the issue. But in all fairness to everyone but Microsoft, I think I need to point out that Microsoft changes the rules all the time. Just because it workes a certain way in a beta or an RC, doesn't mean that is how it is going to work in the RTM (release to manufacturing). Since I don't write browser specific HTML code, I am not aware of the specific changes causing the problems, but in a more perfect world, companies and their developers would receive as much advance knowledge aboujt the impact of coming changes through the developer and support programs, such as MSDN and TechNet. Microsoft sends out so much beta stuff these days that a company would need about four sets of developers for their internet projects, infranet... A core group working on the application, a legacy group working on compatibility with previous versions of os/browsers. A current technology group dealing with todays os/browser, and a future technology group working on what is to come, and maybe two of those for the near stuff (Vista) and the far away stuff (longhorn). It is hard for companies to decide how to best administer their scant developer resources amongst these functions. Microsoft often changes it's mind and discontinues products and features unexpectedly. We are all doing to best we can. It is hard to resist browser specific enhancements when they improve the look and feel of the web app, but I don't give in. My web apps are all browser independent. :-)