Microsoft to Stop Distribution of Internet Explorer for MAC

[mandy]

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER FOR MAC USERS

In June 2003, the Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit announced that Internet Explorer for Mac would undergo no further development, and support would cease in 2005. In accordance with published support lifecycle policies, Microsoft will end support for Internet Explorer for Mac on December 31st, 2005, and will provide no further security or performance updates.

Additionally, as of January 31st, 2006, Internet Explorer for the Mac will no longer be available for download from Mactopia. It is recommended that Macintosh users migrate to more recent web browsing technologies such as Apple's Safari.

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/in...etexplorer

[misteroriginal]

This is good news!

Safari (& Firefox, etc) made it so it's not worth the effort to write Inferior Explorer for the Mac. Apple is nipping Microsoft's market share for the first time in its history. In the past, when Apple grew, it was at the expense of other competitors, not Microsoft.

According to Secunia, Internet Explorer 6.x, with all patches installed as of 12-13-2005, has 91 security advisories, one or more of which are considered "Highly Critical." That is an improvement from May when IE had one or more "Extremely Critical" unpatched security advisories.

Here's the scoreboard:
Internet Explorer 6.x (91 Secunia Advisories) Highly Critical
Firefox (26 Secunia Advisories) Less Critical
Opera (13 Secunia Advisories) Not Critical
Safari 1.x (0 Secunia Advisories) None
Safari 2.x (3 Secunia Advisories) Not Critical

So when will people get the message? You don't have to use cheap, third-rate, insecure computer/software. There are viable alternatives!

http://secunia.com/product/11/
http://secunia.com/product/4227/
http://secunia.com/product/4932/
http://secunia.com/product/1543/
http://secunia.com/product/5289/

[bargainbloodhound]

So when will people get the message? You don't have to use cheap, third-rate, insecure computer/software. There are viable alternatives!

Apparently they'll never get the message.  I've been saying that for years about people who use expensive, unsecure, unreliable, slow Windows servers for their sites (examples Marketworks, some of eBay's servers). Linux (me) and FreeBSD (Yahoo) are both free, extremely reliable, and secure (in comparison to Windows).  I've had Linux servers run for over a year without needed to be rebooted.  Sites that use Windows servers are lucky to make it 1 week without needing a reboot (or "maintenance period").

[jezebel]

Macs make me itch