I keep statistics on the visitors to my site and I can definitively say that 33% of you are still using Internet Explorer 6 (IE6). You will notice that my site (and others) don’t look just right in IE6. As much as I have tweaked my template for readability in IE6, it will at times break because of an javascript element or any number of documented flaws in IE6’s rendering engine. It is suggested that you upgrade to a more current browser such as Firefox 3 or Internet Explorer 7.
If you are viewing this page in IE6 – it will appear messed up. This is not due to problems with my page – it is a problem with IE6’s inability to properly render XHTML, HTML and CSS. But don’t take my word for it, do a Google search on ‘CSS for IE6‘, and you will see hundreds of pages and tips targeted at tricking IE6.
Now, I feel that it would be unfair of me to suggest an upgrade based on readability alone. But there are a number of security flaws that exist in IE6 as well. For that matter, did you know that Microsoft has already stopped support on most version of IE6? That means that they are no longer doing security updates for many of the versions available. Even Microsoft wants you to upgrade to IE7 (a free download) for security reasons.
Security aside, there are a number of reasons to upgrade to IE7. Usability is first and foremost on that list. With tabbed browsing and an easier interface, your browsing is much smoother. It’s rendering engine is also a lot faster than its predecessor – which means faster page loads. And as I already mentioned, it’s rendering engine actually follows the latest HTML and XHTML standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium (they set the standards).
Finally, if nothing else, IE6 is out of date. It was created in 2001, almost 8 years ago. IE7 has been around since 2006. They’re even working on IE8 already. Don’t you think it’s time to upgrade?
Here are some browsers that I would recommend instead of IE6 (in order of preference):
- Mozilla Firefox 3
- Google Chrome
- Internet Explorer 7 (I don’t recommend the BETA of IE8 yet)
- Opera Browser
Download one of these and try it out. Among these, you will find something significantly better than IE6. You will thank me for it.
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