Mysteriously, Internet Explorer 10 Will Not Support Vista

When Internet Explorer 10 is released, Vista and XP users will be completely left out as Microsoft’s new web browser will only work on Windows 7. The exclusion was noticed when the IE10 preview was released. Attempting to install on a computer running anything but Microsoft’s latest operating system brings up a glib error message and quits the installer.

Microsoft confirmed earlier this week that this was no accident. In quoting from an email, a spokeswoman from Microsoft told ComputerWorld:

“Windows Vista customers have a great browsing experience with IE9, but in building IE10 we are focused on continuing to drive the kind of innovation that only happens when you take advantage of the ongoing improvements in modern operating systems and modern hardware.”

Microsoft made a similar argument earlier with their release of IE9, which excluded users of Windows XP. In that case, it was because the more modern IE9 took advantage of Direct2D and DirectWrite for graphics support, which were baked into Windows 7 and back-converted to Windows Vista. Without these key supports, the IE9 browser simply would not work on XP machines.

In comparing Vista to Windows 7, however, Ars Technica claims that there was no major difference that would prevent IE 10 from working on Vista. Unlike IE9 and XP, Ars says that Vista has all the resources needed to run IE10, and hypothesizes that the shrinking Vista user base is the real reason behind the lack of support.

Interestingly, ComputerWorld notes that Microsoft has been promoting the argument that a browser is only as good as the operating system behind it. This is almost certainly an attack on free, multi-platform browsers such as Chrome and most notably FireFox that have taken big chunks out of the IE market. Moreover, Microsoft’s exclusion of older operating systems in IE10 could also be an attempt to pressure users into buying a newer operating system, similar to a planned obsolescence scheme.

This seems plausible, especially as Net Applications’ metrics indicate that many users are still using older Microsoft software. Their numbers show that Windows XP accounts for 54% of the user market, and Vista a paltry 11%. Windows 7, Microsoft’s latest offering, holds 24%.

After the amazing five year lull in activity that marked the IE6 dark ages, it’s surprising to see Microsoft so aggressively pushing upgrades on its users. Especially when the success of FireFox and Chrome have been built on accessibility, rather than exclusion. While Microsoft may be trying to consolidate its user base, requiring major upgrades is almost certainly going to drive some users into the waiting arms of competing browsers.

(ComputerWorld via Ars Technica)