On this day, one year ago, there was a funeral held for IE6. IE6 has been a slow moving browser that many hope to remove from the marketplace. Because of this, Microsoft has launched ie6countdown.com, a website dedicated to the removal of IE6 from the browser eco system.
IE6 is now 10 years old, far to old to be used as a browser to surf the Internet. Besides being exposed to numerous security threats, the technology is outdated and cumbersome. Currently IE6 holds a 12% market share according to Net Applications and Microsoft"s goal is to get that down to 1%. Why 1%? Microsoft states:
Why 1%? We realize that there might not a magic number for when web developers and IT pros can drop support for older browsers, but we believe that 1% will allow more sites and IT pros worldwide to make IE6 a low-priority browser – meaning you don’t have to invest as much time in updates or fixes.
With the IE9 launch right around the corner for Microsoft, it is good to see them make a formal push to help remove IE6 and finally put this chapter of the browser novel to bed. IE9 is expected to launch in late March and will bring with it many enhancements.