I decided to upgrade this article, having written it, with a list. This list is a sort-of compilation of many points into one. – Yes, the list in question is a list of just one point, one reason for not upgrading to Internet Explorer 9: -

In view of the fact that all the pro-Microsoft blogs are giving points in favour of IE9; I thought I’d do completely the opposite. My doing so doesn’t mean that I’m anti-Microsoft, as my regular readers will hopefully no-doubt be aware, in fact often quite the opposite.

So then, without further ado, let’s begin our list of 1 Reason NOT to Upgrade to IE9 – OR – 1 Reason Why You Can’t Upgrade to IE9: -

• You run Windows XP as an operating system. Indeed if you run any other operating system than Windows Vista or Windows 7 then you’ll not be able to use IE9. Microsoft have kinda shot themselves up the ass with their own arrow there.

‘See that one point there incorporates the mass of reasons why a user won’t be able to use IE9; such as “I’m using Windows XP, I’m using Linux, I use a Mac…” etc.

OK, having plugged-in the above upgrade – here’s the original article: -

It feels like I’ve been hearing about the wonderful Internet Explorer 9 for millennia; so having decided to skip the beta and RC versions, I finally at last downloaded the IE9 RTM version today when it was released in the UK.

Being a Windows XP 32-bit user in addition to a Windows 7 64-bit user I felt rather let-down at the absence of any version of the new browser that would run on XP. As a result of this I immediately put “pen to paper”, as it were, and aired my gripe on windowsteamblog.com in the form of a comment on the article “The Nine Reasons Why IE9 is the Best Browser for Business Customers”. I’ve reproduced my original comment below for the sake of reader convenience: -

“Ok; so if it’s such a great browser then where are the non-Windows versions and the Windows XP version? Answer = there are none. Now it may not have occurred to you that not everyone is running Windows Vista or 7. In fact a sizable proportion of business-users still prefer Windows XP because of its much-faster 2D graphics-handling when running Office applications and other, similar, types of software. There are also *nix and Mac users out there who could benefit from IE9 but have been left in the dark.

I can understand that the idea is to wean everyone using Windows off of XP and have them using Vista and 7, but it appears to me that Microsoft could have made more of a name for itself had it made provision for use with most if not all operating systems. While XP is still alive until 2014, is it not a bit of an insult to XP users to leave them out of having the chance to use a new browser developed by XP’s makers? Didn’t XP users pay good money for their o/s when it was new, just like Windows 7 users also did? Isn’t leaving XP users in the cold short-changing them somewhat?

So maybe the technology of XP is a little lackluster for running this browser to its full-capability? Maybe also the hardware capability required to run IE9 with full-functionality is missing with regard to some rather ancient machines that were purpose-built for running XP but are unable to run Vista and 7 due to their geriatric hardware-capabilities? Surely the mighty Microsoft with all its financial and technological clout would be able to produce at least a trimmed-down version for XP, so that its users didn’t feel quite so left out?”

- So you can understand what I’m getting at here… And I wanted to know; do any of my readers feel the same way or similar? In fact I’d like to know what you think no matter what. Perhaps you’d like to air your opinion, comment, or argument, below? Please feel free to do so. I look forwards to reading your views.