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Internet Explorer 9 Will Not Support Windows XP

Posted by timothy on from the are-you-keeping-up-with-me dept.

MojoKid writes "As it turns out, news this week is that the same features that made IE9's hardware-acceleration possible probably aren't compatible with Windows XP. Microsoft initially dodged giving a straight answer to the question of XP support but has since admitted that the new browser won't be XP-compatible when it launches. This has created a small tempest of protest from those users still using XP, but this is less of an arbitrary decision than some appear to think. It's literally impossible to port Windows Vista/Win 7-style hardware acceleration backwards to XP. Microsoft would have to either develop a workaround from scratch or create a CPU-driven 'software mode.'"

3 of 454 comments (clear)

  1. Thats ok , as an XP user by rossdee · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't use Internet Explorer, I use Firefox

  2. Re:Bye Bye XP by hedwards · · Score: 5, Funny

    You do realize that Win XP's coffin has more nails than a typical big box hardware store, right? I'm a little curious how this particular nail is going to be the one that finally smites the beast.

  3. Little known background story by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    You are probably wondering how this could happen:

    Microsoft manager: Our evil level has dropped to 9,386,556,335,456,844!! What will we do?

    Microsoft drones: Make a new browser with proprietary features!!! Extend! Extinguish! Egregious! Execrable! Excrement! Enough?

    Microsoft manager: X%$#X#!!!

    Drones: Be slow in supporting IE8!!!

    Microsoft manager: Excellent!

    Drones: Eventually stop supporting IE8!!!

    Microsoft manager: Evil!

    Drones: Give evasive reasons!

    Microsoft manager: Evil! Evil!

    Okay, some of this may be fiction, but I am not sure what part.