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Microsoft drops Mac IE
News.com ^ | 12/19/2005 | Colin Barker

Posted on 12/19/2005 2:51:56 PM PST by Panerai

The minority of Mac users still browsing with Internet Explorer need to consider moving to another browser very quickly, as Microsoft plans to discontinue support for IE beginning Dec. 31.

The news, which came in a statement on Friday, may not have come as a complete surprise to Mac users: Microsoft announced back in June 2003 that it was ending Mac support for IE. Microsoft has not upgraded the software in three years, leaving IE 5--rather than version 6, which is available for Windows--as the most recent version available to Mac users.

While IE for Mac will continue to be available for another month after support ends, Microsoft is advising all users to move to "more recent browsing technology such as Apple's Safari." In other news:

* Wikipedia alternative as Web's PBS * A better way to count clicks? * Year in review: The PC chugs on * Newsmaker: An eco-designer eyes clean tech

The lack of support for IE is unlikely to be an issue for Apple users, most of whom already use alternatives. The only potential difficulty could lie with some sites that have been designed to work with IE only.

This affects a minority of sites, but the issue hasn't completely gone away. In June, for example, Web-testing company SciVisum said that one in 10 Web sites in the U.K. failed to work properly with Firefox, the popular open-source browser. Firefox, Safari and other browsers such as Opera are available for Mac OS X.


TOPICS: Technical
KEYWORDS: apple; camino; firefox; ie; internetexplorer; microsoft; mozilla; omnigroup; omniweb; opera
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To: Nasty McPhilthy

I like chicken. Do you like chicken?


21 posted on 12/19/2005 3:54:09 PM PST by Siegfried The Red (Subgeniuses are the last TRUE Americans!)
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To: sergeantdave
Here's what you do, do not go into preferences for Safari, but in to System Pref.

System Preferences > Network > PPPoE > PPPoE Options > Menu window opens > Un-click box "Prompt every __ minutes to maintain connection" Hope this helps.

22 posted on 12/19/2005 4:15:46 PM PST by Panerai
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To: Panerai

Far as I can tell, Microtheft hasn't supported the Mac on IE for quite some time. So what's changing? I only use it on a handful of sites that won't work properly without the Kool-Aid browser. For everything else, it's Safari and Firefox.

Meanwhile, the folks who are so vehemently anti-Mac should relax, buy some Apple stock, and get over their issues. I use both systems, and I can see the benefits of both. Deal with it.


23 posted on 12/19/2005 4:23:11 PM PST by SlowBoat407 (The best stuff happens just before the thread snaps.)
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To: Siegfried The Red

24 posted on 12/19/2005 4:26:01 PM PST by SlowBoat407 (The best stuff happens just before the thread snaps.)
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To: Panerai

Yeh, that killed the little bugger. Thanks.


25 posted on 12/19/2005 4:32:49 PM PST by sergeantdave (Member of the Arbor Day Foundation, travelling the country and destroying open space)
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To: Siegfried The Red

What did one lesbian frog say to the other?


26 posted on 12/19/2005 4:53:12 PM PST by Nasty McPhilthy (Those who beat their swords into plow shears….will plow for those who don’t.)
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To: Panerai
Since I upgraded to FF1.5 I am having issues with accessing some pages on eBay with my Mac.

If IE goes away I will only have FF, Safari, Opera, Mozilla, Camino and Netscape.... :(
27 posted on 12/19/2005 5:08:12 PM PST by tubebender (You can't make Chicken Salad from Chicken Bleep...)
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To: Panerai

Apple nerds hate Microsoft. Why would they use IE?


28 posted on 12/19/2005 5:10:33 PM PST by rwfromkansas (http://www.xanga.com/rwfromkansas)
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To: oolatec
Can't even remember the last time I had IE on my Mac.

Can't even remember the last time I had IE on my Windows box. Wait a minute, I told the system to remove it but it didn't really. Nope, even though I never use it I'm stuck with it staying on this XP box.

29 posted on 12/19/2005 7:13:22 PM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: BigSkyFreeper
That is the case when it becomes "unsupported" software.

I have to admit this is where open source looks good. Who cares if someone abandoned a product -- if you really want it it can still survive.

The suggested "abandonware" laws are looking better every day.

30 posted on 12/19/2005 7:15:15 PM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: Bush2000; antiRepublicrat; Action-America; August West; eno_; Glenn; gmill; BigFinn; backslacker; ..
Microsoft Drops Internet Explorer for the Mac... PING!

Of course, no one uses it, so it won't be missed.

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.


31 posted on 12/19/2005 7:19:01 PM PST by Swordmaker (Beware of Geeks bearing GIFs.)
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To: flrepublican

Exactly, LOL!


32 posted on 12/19/2005 7:20:32 PM PST by cmsgop ( Bill Clinton's License Plate..... "Herpes 1")
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To: Panerai
The minority of Mac users still browsing with Internet Explorer need to consider moving to another browser very quickly, as Microsoft plans to discontinue support for IE beginning Dec. 31.

Gee, is Microsoft implying that on December 31, Mac Internet Explorer will implode? I can see the clock ticking down now... 10, 9, 8...

33 posted on 12/19/2005 7:24:46 PM PST by Swordmaker (Beware of Geeks bearing GIFs.)
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To: Old Student

Which part of FEMA's web site requires MSIE?


34 posted on 12/19/2005 7:26:06 PM PST by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
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To: Panerai

The only time I ever use IE on my Mac is when there are pages that won't load, such as when I needed to link into my work email or some secure websites.


35 posted on 12/19/2005 7:29:42 PM PST by lawgirl (..a long December and there's reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last.....)
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To: Anne Chin

My upgraded G4 Sawtooth runs OS9 and has a 1.2 Ghz Freescale 7455 processor... slow?


36 posted on 12/19/2005 7:36:02 PM PST by chet_in_ny
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To: sergeantdave
I looked in preferences for the off switch and can't find it. Where is the off switch hiding?

Panerai's explanation is right... if you are connected using a highspeed connection over Ethernet... (PPPoE = PPP over Ethernet) but if you are using a phone modem the setting is in

System Preferences >> Network >> Show Internal Modem >> PPP >> PPP Options >> Prompt every __ minutes to maintain connection.

37 posted on 12/19/2005 7:50:23 PM PST by Swordmaker (Beware of Geeks bearing GIFs.)
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To: SlowBoat407

"I use both systems, and I can see the benefits of both. Deal with it."

Most sensible thing I've heard lately in the MAC vs. PC wars. Heck, I'm still trying to figure out why CP/M-86 went away just as I was about to be able to afford it...


38 posted on 12/19/2005 8:03:21 PM PST by Old Student (WRM, MSgt, USAF(Ret.))
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To: coconutt2000

"Which part of FEMA's web site requires MSIE?"

As I heard it, the part where you go to apply for their assistance. Was mentioned repeatedly on several of the threads about Katrina here recently.


39 posted on 12/19/2005 8:05:30 PM PST by Old Student (WRM, MSgt, USAF(Ret.))
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To: tubebender
Since I upgraded to FF1.5 I am having issues with accessing some pages on eBay with my Mac.

I have used eBay extensively with Safari and had no issues at all. When I say extensively, I spent over $50,000 on eBay in the space of one year and never ran into a problem page.

40 posted on 12/19/2005 8:10:47 PM PST by Swordmaker (Beware of Geeks bearing GIFs.)
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