Microsoft and the Future

Microsoft Playing the Victim

For web users who don't follow the tech news, Microsoft is in the early stages of testing a new browser (version 9) which it claims (like all the others before it) will miraculously solve all the problems of the previous one. Microsoft is trying to claim that they are the victim of their tiny rivals and that getting a monopoly on 80's technology and then stopping the development of new technologies, so that we have no choice in who we buy computer hardware and software from is desirable.

Microsoft's argument is that the only standards that matter are what they have come up with. They want to wait another 12 years to implement the new features other browsers have already added, because they some how think that purposely making Internet Explorer incompatible was something done by someone else to them, rather than self inflicted. They say that they have somehow trail blazed with their proprietary incompatibilities they added to corrupt already implemented standards like: CSS, HTML, JavaScript; so that they are afraid of getting falsely labeled as proprietary, if they implement standards before they are set in stone. The reality is something else.

Microsoft Needs a History Lesson

Microsoft claims responsibility for creating AJAX, although the key ingredient, called Javascript, was purposely sabotaged by them and the reason why it had become popular later on is that Microsoft stopped releasing new versions of Internet Explorer, so web developers could find permanent workable hacks for Internet Explorer. And for the last time, Microsoft did not get convicted of illegally using its monopoly in operating systems to get a monopoly in web browsers simply by bundling Internet Explorer with Windows. They got in trouble for forbidding Compaq from bundling Netscape (the market leader of that era) with Windows and changing Windows internals to make Netscape perform poorly on Windows.

As soon as Microsoft destroyed Netscape, they stopped developing Internet Explorer for 5 years, until Firefox started regaining significant market share. Microsoft say numbers don't matter, for measuring speed (as they are much slower than everyone else) and they decided to optimize this version of Internet Explorer, for brand new high end desktop gaming machines, that cost as much as a Mac and not on cheap netbooks (which represent most of the newer machines being bought today and recently). They also decided to stop supporting XP (the OS most of the world is using and the reason why they have the market share they do) as they are still having trouble getting people to buy, what the claim as the superior fix up, of the failed Windows Vista.

Microsoft's Vision of the Future

What is happening in the computer revolution is that a whole new generation of users has grown up and they have higher expectations of computers. Whereas my parents generation were impressed with being able to see the Olympics online, my generation expects more out of computers. The generation following mine expects to be able to use their computer everywhere and expects the Internet to always be present. Apple and Google are preparing for the next generation, whereas Microsoft wants to keep people technologically a generation behind and wants us to use computers the way they were in the 80s forever, so it can continue to sell software, that is fundamentally designed the same, for the entire future of human civilization.

This is an epic battle and it will take a long time, to get rid of the Microsoft legacy, as they continue to try to hold us back from the future, and businesses will continue to use their software, for another generation or longer, as they have invested heavily in Microsoft-only solutions. As businesses finally need to upgrade their entire infrastructure, they are going to build their next generation technology on open source software, so that they never get locked into one vendor again. Fundamentally, Microsoft wants to make the Internet as hard to use as possible, so that no other company has a chance to compete with it, as Microsoft cannot win, when everything is fair and equal. Microsoft wants there to be big hurdles, to overcome, to get to customers and doesn't want another Apple, Google, Youtube, Myspace, Facebook, or Twitter to come out of someone's basement.

Google Started a New Format War

Google has now removed the Apple/iPod/iTunes version support from Chrome now to force its users to use its own new format (WebM) or use Flash for video. This was designed to make trouble for the entire consumer electronic industry and its users.

Google is making trouble for Apple and its users, because Apple has decided not to allow Flash on its iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads due to it radically lowering battery life, to not populate its store with poor performing widget apps, and because it was only available several years after the iPhone and iPod Touch were released.

Google's newly preferred format (WebM) likely has patents on it, opening up those who use it on websites to likely but unknown liabilities, without any patent pools like, in the Apple/iPod/iTunes format, and has no hardware acceleration support in most devices, unlike the Apple friendly format, so it would destroy battery life as well. Google has also refused to pay potential patent royalties, for users of its new format, when the inevitable patent lawsuits begin.

Ironically this Apple friendly format is not owned by Apple or Microsoft (and both pay more for using the patents in software then they get from them) and every major consumer electronics manufacturer (including Google and many of its phone manufacturer partner companies) had not just agreed to it, but actually funded its development (and they all cross license each other as they are the patent holders).

Microsoft has recently added a free add-on to Google Chrome, that adds back in this removed video format support.

Internet Explorer 9

Microsoft has just released version 9, of Internet Explorer, to the public, as it has made it through testing. I have been able to test it today, on my website, through a web browser testing service. The simple design, which is mostly yellow and one column works fine, with every version of Internet Explorer version 7 and higher. If you have Windows Vista or Windows 7, then you can upgrade Internet Explorer, to version 9.My website looks fine, in the advanced version, with Internet Explorer 9. It renders the fonts, layered backgrounds, transparency, angled backgrounds, rounded corners, and drop caps very well, but it does not support the text shadow, on the headings. I was unable to test the audio, that works, without requiring another program, on the virtual machine I used.

Another thing to check is the performance of Internet Explorer 9. If you can run Windows 7, with all its special effects, without any lag or slow downs, then it probably will work well, but if you bought a cheap laptop (or netbook), then it is likely that it will be slow (much slower than even the previous versions). One way to get it faster relatively cheaply is to add more RAM. I would recommend that you check the websites, that you frequent, to make sure they are compatible, as this browser has had a complete overhaul. Also the 64 bit version has much worse performance, to the point of being almost unusable, and should be avoided.

Security is improved greatly and the interface is now much more minimalistic - the controls are smaller, which gives you more space, for the web pages. If you use tabs, then you will likely have trouble using more than a few of them at once, because of Microsoft wanting to give extra space, for web pages. Search is now built into the address bar, so that would make me concerned about how the web browser knows, if you are typing in an address, or a search term, without having to type in special commands. The fonts look much smoother, but some people with poor eyesight will find the text harder to read. Things have also been changed significantly, for accessibility features, used by those who are sight impaired, so they might need to update screen readers, for this new version of Internet Explorer.

New Developments: Don't Do Anything

I have learned some new things, after: finding some good design magazines online, having invested in some more software/services, and that some new techniques are now available, that have matured recently. The result of these new developments is, that I was able, to get the custom fonts and many of the special effects, on my website, to work, with Internet Explorer 6-8.

The performance appears fine software wise, bit I don't know how much RAM, or how fast a processor is necessary, for reasonable/usable performance. The custom fonts look much better, on Internet Explorer 7, or higher. I was able to come close, to making the ideal design available, similarly to how it appears, in most of the more popular new browser, in Internet Explorer 6-8, but the performance suffers noticeably, as well as there being 2 many layers, for all the background designs, to show up correctly.

I can now fully test, for every major version of Internet Explorer, from 6 on, and can now support most, of the modern features, on these versions. I still recommend upgrading your browser to a better one, because of the security and performance benefits alone.